Book contents
- Law and the Invisible Hand
- Law and the Invisible Hand
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- About the Cover
- Figures
- About the Author
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Guide to Citations by Adam Smith
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Setting the Stage
- 3 Social Organization in the Informal Realm
- 4 Social Organization in the Formal Realm
- 5 Integrating the Informal and Formal in Smith’s Theory
- 6 The Spectator View
- 7 Judgment and Justice
- 8 The Sentiment of Common Interest
- 9 The Impartial Spectator, Homo economicus, and Homo identicus
- 10 Understanding the Four Stages of Progress
- 11 Adam Smith in American Law
- 12 Parting Thoughts
- Bibliography
- Index
1 - Introduction
Law’s Invisible Hand
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 September 2021
- Law and the Invisible Hand
- Law and the Invisible Hand
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- About the Cover
- Figures
- About the Author
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Guide to Citations by Adam Smith
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Setting the Stage
- 3 Social Organization in the Informal Realm
- 4 Social Organization in the Formal Realm
- 5 Integrating the Informal and Formal in Smith’s Theory
- 6 The Spectator View
- 7 Judgment and Justice
- 8 The Sentiment of Common Interest
- 9 The Impartial Spectator, Homo economicus, and Homo identicus
- 10 Understanding the Four Stages of Progress
- 11 Adam Smith in American Law
- 12 Parting Thoughts
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Fundamentally, law is to society as gravity is to the solar system; it is the invisible force that holds society together and keeps it operating smoothly and productively.1 Law enhances social cooperation, facilitates trade, and extends the market. In these ways, law functions like Adams Smith’s invisible hand, guiding and facilitating the progress of humankind.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Law and the Invisible HandA Theory of Adam Smith's Jurisprudence, pp. 1 - 9Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021