The Theory of Moral Sentiments

By: Adam Smith

Narrated by: Michael Lunts

Length: 16 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

‘How 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, though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it.’

So begins The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759), the first major text by Adam Smith, who, seven years later, was to publish what was to become one of the major economic classics, The Wealth of Nations (1776). However, Smith regarded The Theory of Moral Sentiments as his most important work because in it he identified the profound human instinct to act not necessarily in self-interest but through, as he phrased it, a ‘mutual sympathy of sentiments’.

The work is divided into seven parts, starting with Part 1: Of the Propriety of Action, in which Smith proposes the idea that ‘Sympathy’ can underlie human actions towards others, prompted by various emotions, be it perception of misfortune in others or simply ‘the pleasure of mutual sympathy’. Other parts include ‘Of the Effect of Utility upon the Sentiment of Approbation’, ‘Of the Character of Virtue’ and finally ‘Of Systems of Moral Philosophy’.

In this concluding section, Smith considers the views of other philosophers, including Epicurus, Zeno, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero and Hobbes, as well as the opinions of his mentor, Dr Francis Hutchison, an important influence. In short, Smith proposes that man’s sense of morality is interwoven with social instincts as much as reason or self-interest. Sympathy - the contemporary word we would use is empathy - is a universal and strongly held emotion in mankind, he says, imbued with virtue, prudence, justice and beneficence. The Theory of Moral Sentiments was, and remains, a milestone in Western philosophy.

Public Domain (P)2018 Ukemi Productions Ltd

Great for aspiring philosophers

Smith touches on issues of psychology and ethics that are rarely understood and yet he does so learnedly and with uplam. Highly recommended!!!

time for a long read?

Very long tome, sometimes rambling and hard to follow. but it gives a thorough examination of behavior through the eyes of the time

Required reading upon maturity

Having reached a point in my life that I wished to read "The Wealth of Nations", I purchased the book. Knowing full-well the book was published nearly 250 years ago, I opted to also purchase the authors prior book to familiarize myself with their writing style and concept organization. I was quite taken by surprise at the wealth of wisdom Adam Smith committed to page. This book gave me far more than I could have ever expected. How this is not required reading in college is beyond me. The application of understanding for human behavior affects such a vast amount of disciplines, and here is much of it laid out in easy-to-understand format. The fact that this was written nearly a quarter millennia ago is compelling.

Keeping in mind, due to the age of the reference, some small portion of the information is dated in it's understanding. With some religious underpinnings that need be adjusted for in the understanding of today's world. However, this book is a gold mine in and of itself; and should be required reading for anyone on the precipice of, or well into their journey of emotional maturity and sociological understanding.

What Makes Humans Humane

Important, interesting,, and amazing-- Adam Smith's insights into human nature are also timeless. Michael Lunts does an excellent job of reading this classic. All who invest the time to listen to and absorb its wisdom will come away better than when they started. Another excellent release from Ukemi Audiobooks. Highly recommended.

just as relevant as The Wealth of Nations

it took a little bit to get into it, but the wisdom contained herein is pure gold.

A Wonderful Description of Human Nature

Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments is a magnificent description of human nature and an eloquent explanation of virtue and vice, and what is natural and unnatural. It is one of the best books ever written; how unfortunate it is not more widely read and studied.

Good Reading

Adam Smith is naive, antiquated, and an Englishman with an inflated sense of moral superiority over native peoples, perhaps the ethnocentric justifications of a colonizing citizen.

But the reading is good. This is a look at morality before even Freud incorrectly tried to unravel the mind and far before modern science dispatched with the will. The benefit here is to listen to some of the best 18th century rhetorical and unscientific musings about what we would call sociology and behavioral psychology. The medicine of the time still used blood letting, so one can’t judge too harshly. However, the real sentiment is that of “why do 18th century British feel they are superior?” And in that, the ideas are amusingly childish, but insightful.

TMS - Background for Human Behavior

This book provides a reasoned explanation of how we function with reality and between one another. Beautifully written and explained. Very relevant to today as it was when written in the mid 1700s. So dense it deserves more than one reading.

Should be read by readers of The Wealth of Nations

Well voiced.
The text has value and makes for a good companion to Smith's more famous work: The Wealth of Nations. However, some parts have not aged well, especially when he talks about savages and females. (Tho to be fair, he doesn't assert that his views of them are based upon their inherent natures, but upon the natures of their societies.) Still, it should be required reading for those who read The Wealth of Nations, as the sentiments expressed here help clarify Smith's thoughts there.

Great and Timeless Knowledge

Wonderful wisdom from the past. As much as people have changed over the years, this shows that we remain complex but relatable beings.