While the moral and philosophical position adopted by Smith in the

seems on the surface to differ radically from the position adopted in the

, the

actually contains the seeds of his later thinking on questions relating to political economy. The central conceptual feature of the

relates to the doctrine of sympathy, by which Smith meant each individual's natural ability to identify with the situation of another individual, and to align his feelings with those of the other: “However selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him” (Part I, chapter 1). For Smith a theory of economics must take account of what holds society…

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Citation: Williams, David. "The Theory of Moral Sentiments". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 November 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7917, accessed 27 November 2024.]