His Wealth of Nations has received more and better press, and the volume critiqued here has often been dismissed as inconsistent with its more famous brother. These contributors argue, however,
that The Theory of Moral Sentiments yields insights into the relation of Smith's ideas, including his economic ones, to the Enlightenment and shows how seemingly contradictory ideas came to be
combined. The eight essays (plus introduction) address the role of thumos in Smith's project, his responses to Aristotle and to religion, the latter in the context of the Scottish
Enlightenment, the development of Smith's views over time and the influence of previous works on The Theory of Moral Sentiments, the notion that Smith's moral philosophy was an exercise in
ethical self-formation, Smith's use of science and its applications, and the relation between Darwin and Smith in matter of the moral sense. Annotation 穢2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
