Adam Smith and Equality: Continuities and Tensions within his Theory
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15691/0718-5448Vol5Iss1a378Keywords:
Adam Smith, Egalitarianism, Inequality, Ethics, Modern Philosophy.Abstract
The purpose of this article is to approach the work of Adam Smith in order to identify a possible “theory of equality” in the corpus of the Scottish philosopher. Our approach questions the collective ideology surrounding this author, according to which he is characterized as being close to the anti-egalitarianism of certain liberal currents. Based on research carried out in recent years by some of Smith’s scholars, we will present arguments and ideas present in his work that can be associated with egalitarian positions and that show that his position on this issue is more complex than is commonly believed. In this line, in order to demonstrate Smith’s position on equality, we will present his conception of the emergence of inequality and certain ideas expressed in the Wealth of Nations and The Theory of Moral Sentiments that are relevant to the discussion. In this task, we will take as our main reference the work of Samuel Fleischacker, whose interpretation of Smith – which will be complemented with our own analysis – we also intend to disseminate.
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