Adam Smith and the Classics: The Classical Heritage in Adam Smith's Thought

251 Pages·2002·1.36 MB·English

by  Gloria Vivenza

Adam Smith and the Classics
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Adam Smith and the Classics
The Classical Heritage in Adam Smith's Thought
Gloria Vivenza
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Vivenza,Gloria.
[AdamSmithelaculturaclassica.English]
Adam Smithandtheclassics:theclassicalheritageinAdamsSmith'sthought/GloriaVivenza.
p.cm.
Translationof:Adam Smithelaculturaclassica.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
1.Smith,Adam, 1723–1790—Knowledgeandlearning.2. Classicaleducation.
3.Economists—GreatBritain.4.Classicism—GreatBritain—History—18thcentury.
I.Title.
HB103.S6V578132001330.15'3—dc212001033853
ISBN0–19–829666–5
Preface
It was after some hesitation that I agreed to translate a book on Adam Smith published in 1984 into Englishwithout
any significant changes other than the addition of a postscript. On the other hand this volume represents the
foundation of my studies in this field, and I still consider my conclusions to be valid. I am aware that the book may
leave a slightly strange impression on today's reader. When I wrote it, no general works on Adam Smith's classical
culturewereavailable,withtheexceptionofTheSocialPhysicsofAdamSmith,byVernardFoley,whichIhavereviewedin
a separatearticle.Twogoodannotated editions ofSmith'sworkexisted, and these wereextremelyuseful: theGerman
edition of The Theory of Moral Sentiments by W. Eckstein (1926), and The Glasgow Edition of the Works and Correspondence of
Adam Smith, which was being published as I was working on my book.
Other than these, and as it has frequently been observed, there were only scattered observations in articles by a
numberofauthorswhichhighlightedthisorthatanalogywiththeclassicaltexts.Imadegreatuseofthese,notonlyfor
completeness ofinformation, but also because I found ithelpful todiscuss thefew pointswhichhad already emerged
on the subject.
IfI wereto rewrite thisbooktoday, I wouldprobablyadopt a different strategy. Much has been writtenon Smithand
theclassicalauthors inrecentyears, and itwouldnolonger make sensetoconducta surveyofthevarious opinions in
thistypeof book. Inthemeantime, my knowledge of Smith's debttotheclassicshas also increased and I wouldwrite
with greater certainty and within a wider context, as indeed I have done in a number of subsequent articles. (For
example,hereI analysedtherelationshipbetweenSmithand Platointerms ofthedivisionof labour,butI highlighted
Smith's debt to Xenophonin a later article published in 1990; whilein a brief essay of 1989 I developedthereference
to musical metaphors in Smith's work contained in note 22 to Chapter 2 of the book.)
It should also be remembered that the book was written for a non-specialist, Italian readership: this explains the
numerous references to Italian authors, and also the copious summaries of Smith's texts, unnecessary for those who
are already acquainted with his work, as well as certain details (for example, on classical studies in England or the
Scottish legal system) which are superfluous for the British reader.
The book is thus presented here in its original form, with some cuts which do not, however, alter the substance. In
fact,theyare, in part, theoutcome of a somewhat modified approach to thesubject:a subject whichincludes bothan
author attracting a great deal of attention, and a cultural heritage which enjoyed renewed interest throughout the
centuries. Consequently,
vi PREFACE
Ihavetodo withendless bibliographies. Inthescholarshipofthepast,thegoodmethodologicalapproachwas thatof
defining thestatus quaestioniseachtime thata debatedsubjectwas treated. I do notknowtowhat extentthisis possible
today,unlesswewishtowriteamonographoneachindividualtopic.WhenIwrotethisbook,Iadoptedthetraditional
approach, because although Adam Smith himself had already been treated widely, his relationship with the classical
authors had not. Today this situation also has changed, and I felt it was appropriate to restrict myself to the main
theme, including wherever possible references to issues which I have examined more thoroughly in separate articles.
I have used the same criteria for the List of References, as it would have beenpointless to provide a ‘comprehensive’
bibliography on an author like Smith. I have replaced the original bibliography, which was subdivided by topic, with
simple references to the quoted texts, including those used to write my original book (and naturally I have taken
advantageofthisopportunitytorectifysomeminor inaccuracies),as wellas thoseused towritetheadditionalchapter,
which I have entitled ‘Postscript’.
This translation would never have seen the light of day without the help and precious advice of Prof. David D.
Raphael,whomI willneverbeabletothank enough. Words cannotrepaymydebttohis competence,his readiness to
help, and his kindness. I would like also to thank Emma Rothschild for helpful advice and encouragement.
This book has been translated by Clive Cheesman (Chapters 1–4) and by Nicola Gelder. Quotations from texts in
languages other than English, including the classical authors, are by Clive Cheesman unless otherwise specified.
G.V.
Verona, December 2000
Contents
Abbreviations ix
Introduction 1
1. The Natural Philosophy in Smith's Essays 9
1.1. ‘The History of Astronomy’ 9
1.2. The ‘Connecting Principles’ of Natural Phenomena 10
1.3. ‘Wonder’ 13
1.4. The Premises of Research 15
1.5. The Origins of Philosophy 19
1.6. Ancient Astronomy 22
1.7. ‘The History of Ancient Physics’ 28
1.8. ‘The History of Ancient Logics and Metaphysics’ 33
1.9. A ‘Conjectural’ History of the Spirit of Scientific Enquiry 35
2. The Classical Heritage in Adam Smith's Ethics 41
2.1. Adam Smith's Moral Philosophy 41
2.2. Polybius and ‘Sympathy’ 44
2.3. The ‘Golden Mean’ and the Impartial Spectator 46
2.4. Resentment 50
2.5. Justice 51
2.6. Prudence 54
2.7. Self-Control 57
2.8. Epictetus and ‘Self-Interest’ 61
2.9. Benevolence 64
2.10. The Problem of Good and Evil 68
2.11. Against Apathy 74
2.12. Adam Smith's History of Classical Ethics 78
2.13. The Diverse Origin of the Classical Aspects of Smith's Moral Philosophy 81
3. The Lectures on Jurisprudence and Roman Law 84
3.1. Introductory Remarks 84
3.2. Natural Law 85
3.3. Law and Society 92
3.4. The Scottish Environment 94
3.5. Adam Smith's Philosophy and History of Law 97
3.6. Birth of the Powers of the State in Ancient Societies 104
3.7. Smith's Analysis of Roman Jurisprudence 111
3.8. Roman Law as an Exemplary System 121
viii CONTENTS
4. The Division of Labour and the Theory of Value 126
4.1. Plato and Adam Smith on the Division of Labour 126
4.2. Aristotle, Adam Smith, and the Theory of Value 141
5. Adam Smith and Ancient Literature 159
5.1. Smith's Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles-Lettres 159
5.2. An Outline of a ‘Conjectural’ History of Literature 160
5.3. Poetry, or Delight 163
5.4. Prose, or the Art of Persuasion 170
5.5. Oratory 172
5.6. The Characters 178
5.7. Psychological and Rational Foundations of Rhetoric 181
Conclusion 185
Postscript 191
References 213
Index of Personal Names 227
Index of Subjects 235
Abbreviations
Adam Smith's Works:
‘AN’ ‘Anderson Notes’, History of Political Economy, 8/4 (1976),
466–77 (Appendix to Meek, 1976a)
Corr. The Correspondence of Adam Smith, ed. E. C. Mossner and I. S.
Ross, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1977
EPS Essays on Philosophical Subjects, ed. W. P. D. Wightman and J. C.
Bryce, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1980 (‘HA’=‘The History of
Astronomy’; ‘HAP’=‘The History of Ancient Physics’;
‘HALM’=‘The History of Ancient Logics and Metaphysics’)
TMS The Theory of Moral Sentiments, ed. D. D. Raphael and A. L.
Macfie, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1976
WN AnInquiryintotheNatureandCausesoftheWealthofNations,ed.R.
H.Campbelland A. S. Skinner,Oxford,ClarendonPress, 1976
LJ LecturesonJurisprudence,ed.R.L.Meek,D.D.Raphael,andP.G.
Stein, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1978 (LJ (A)=Report of
1762–3; LJ (B)=Report dated 1766)
LRBL Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres, ed. J. C. Bryce, Oxford,
Clarendon Press, 1983
Exceptional mentions have been made of Cannan's edition of LJ (New York, August McKelley, 1964 reprint), of
Lothian's edition of LRBL (London, Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1963), and of Eckstein's German translation of TMS
(Leipzig, 1926).
The works of classical authors have been quoted, as usually, with the reference to book, chapter,section. The titles in
the notes, and sometimes also in the text, have been abbreviated as usual: e.g. Aristotle's NE for Nicomachean Ethics.
Classicalauthorsofa singlesurvivingworkhavebeenquotedwithoutgivinganytitle,onlywiththereferencetobook,
chapter, etc.
Some well-known dictionaries or repertories have also been abbreviated:
RE Pauly-Wissowa, Real-Encyclopaedie der classischen Altertumswissen-
schaft, Stuttgart, J. B. Metzlerscher, 1894–
TGL C. B. Hase, G. R. L. de Sinner, and T. Fix (eds.), Thesaurus
Graecae Linguae, 3rd edn. Paris, Firmin Didot, 1831–
Liddell, Scott, and Jones H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, and H. S. Jones, Greek-English Lexicon,
Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1961