Erik W Matson
Biographic Data
| ID | 710105 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Erik W Matson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Erik W |
| FAMILY NAME | Matson |
| SIGNATURE | MATSON E W |
| AFFILIATIONS | George Mason University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1832-3409 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 11 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 7 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 11 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Political Economy as an Ecumenical Creed: The Case of John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon's political and economic thought, which developed mainly in the American phase of his career, borrowed extensively from Francis Hutcheson and even David Hume, both of whom were his intellectual antagonists in Scotland. This fact has led some scholars to conclude that there is a discontinuity between the American and Scottish phases of Witherspoon's career. A more plausible interpretation, however, is that political economy had be…
Hume on the Protestant Ethic and the Rise of English Commercial Spirit
This paper interprets the interaction between Protestantism and commercial spirit in David Hume’s account of English development, mostly drawing from The History of England . Hume saw Protestant theology—especially the more enthusiastic strains of English Puritanism—as having fortuitously shifted the landscape of political and economic sensibilities in England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries by affecting believers’ political, social, a…
Adam Smith and the Patriotism of Partnership
This article treats Smith’s writings on patriotism and universal benevolence in the final edition of The Theory of Moral Sentiments by placing them in some broader contexts. Smith affirmed proper patriotism as virtuous and consistent with the Christian ethic of universal benevolence. Proper patriotism, however, subsists in contrast to two vicious patriotisms: the patriotism of national jealousy and the patriotism of radical reform. Much of what i…
The Edifying Discourses of Adam Smith: Focalism, Commerce, and Serving the Common Good
Adam Smith’s discourses aim to encourage mores, practices, and public policies in service to the common good, or that which a universally benevolent spectator would approve of. The Wealth of Nations illustrates how in pursuing our own happiness within the bounds of prudence and commutative justice, we may be said, literally or metaphorically, to cooperate with God in furthering the happiness of humankind. The Theory of Moral Sentiments elaborates…
Commerce as cooperation with the deity: Self-love, the common good, and the coherence of Francis Hutcheson
There has been debate over the coherence of Hutcheson’s writings. Hutcheson’s writings on ethics have been taken as inconsistent with his work on jurisprudence and economics. This article argues that Hutcheson’s works are coherent when situated in theological context. We find across Hutcheson’s works a belief that God has benevolently designed the natural order. Hutcheson’s later works outline the rules by which we make our efforts to serve the c…
A dialectical reading of Adam Smith on wealth and happiness
Convention without convening
Hume and Smith on utility, agreeableness, propriety, and moral approval
OVERVIEWWe ambitiously reexamine Smith’s moral theory in relation to Hume’s. We regard Smith's developments as glorious and important. We also see them as quite fully agreeable to Hume, as enhancement, not departure. But Smith represents matters otherwise! Why would Smith overstate disagreement with his best friend?One aspect of Smith’s enhancement, an aspect he makes very conspicuous, is that between moral approval and beneficialness (‘utility’ …
The man within the breast, the supreme impartial spectator, and other impartial spectators in Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments
Adam Smith infused the expression ‘impartial spectator’ with a plexus of related meanings, one of which is a super-being, which bears parallels to monotheistic ideas of God. As for any genuine, identified, human spectator, he can be deemed impartial only presumptively. Such presumptive impartiality as regards the incident does not of itself carry extensive implications about his intelligence, nor about his being aligned with benevolence towards a…
The Elevated Imagination: Contemplation and Action in David Hume and Adam Smith
In this paper we seek to draw attention to some striking and heretofore unnoticed textual connections between Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments and David Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature. We find significant textual parallels between the parable of the poor man's son of TMS 4.1 (TMS 4.1.8-4.1.10) and the famous conclusion to Book 1 of Hume's Treatise. These passages are often regarded as especially intense and moving parts of their respect…
The Sympathetic Formation of Reason and the Limits of Science
The man within the breast, the supreme impartial spectator, and other impartial spectators in Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments
Adam Smith infused the expression ‘impartial spectator’ with a plexus of related meanings, one of which is a super-being, which bears parallels to monotheistic ideas of God. As for any genuine, identified, human spectator, he can be deemed impartial only presumptively. Such presumptive impartiality as regards the incident does not of itself carry extensive implications about his intelligence, nor about his being aligned with benevolence towards a…
Hume and Smith on utility, agreeableness, propriety, and moral approval
OVERVIEWWe ambitiously reexamine Smith’s moral theory in relation to Hume’s. We regard Smith's developments as glorious and important. We also see them as quite fully agreeable to Hume, as enhancement, not departure. But Smith represents matters otherwise! Why would Smith overstate disagreement with his best friend?One aspect of Smith’s enhancement, an aspect he makes very conspicuous, is that between moral approval and beneficialness (‘utility’ …
The Sympathetic Formation of Reason and the Limits of Science
The Elevated Imagination: Contemplation and Action in David Hume and Adam Smith
In this paper we seek to draw attention to some striking and heretofore unnoticed textual connections between Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments and David Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature. We find significant textual parallels between the parable of the poor man's son of TMS 4.1 (TMS 4.1.8-4.1.10) and the famous conclusion to Book 1 of Hume's Treatise. These passages are often regarded as especially intense and moving parts of their respect…
The Sympathetic Formation of Reason and the Limits of Science
The man within the breast, the supreme impartial spectator, and other impartial spectators in Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments
Adam Smith infused the expression ‘impartial spectator’ with a plexus of related meanings, one of which is a super-being, which bears parallels to monotheistic ideas of God. As for any genuine, identified, human spectator, he can be deemed impartial only presumptively. Such presumptive impartiality as regards the incident does not of itself carry extensive implications about his intelligence, nor about his being aligned with benevolence towards a…
Hume and Smith on utility, agreeableness, propriety, and moral approval
OVERVIEWWe ambitiously reexamine Smith’s moral theory in relation to Hume’s. We regard Smith's developments as glorious and important. We also see them as quite fully agreeable to Hume, as enhancement, not departure. But Smith represents matters otherwise! Why would Smith overstate disagreement with his best friend?One aspect of Smith’s enhancement, an aspect he makes very conspicuous, is that between moral approval and beneficialness (‘utility’ …
A dialectical reading of Adam Smith on wealth and happiness
Convention without convening
Adam Smith and the Patriotism of Partnership
This article treats Smith’s writings on patriotism and universal benevolence in the final edition of The Theory of Moral Sentiments by placing them in some broader contexts. Smith affirmed proper patriotism as virtuous and consistent with the Christian ethic of universal benevolence. Proper patriotism, however, subsists in contrast to two vicious patriotisms: the patriotism of national jealousy and the patriotism of radical reform. Much of what i…
The Edifying Discourses of Adam Smith: Focalism, Commerce, and Serving the Common Good
Adam Smith’s discourses aim to encourage mores, practices, and public policies in service to the common good, or that which a universally benevolent spectator would approve of. The Wealth of Nations illustrates how in pursuing our own happiness within the bounds of prudence and commutative justice, we may be said, literally or metaphorically, to cooperate with God in furthering the happiness of humankind. The Theory of Moral Sentiments elaborates…
Commerce as cooperation with the deity: Self-love, the common good, and the coherence of Francis Hutcheson
There has been debate over the coherence of Hutcheson’s writings. Hutcheson’s writings on ethics have been taken as inconsistent with his work on jurisprudence and economics. This article argues that Hutcheson’s works are coherent when situated in theological context. We find across Hutcheson’s works a belief that God has benevolently designed the natural order. Hutcheson’s later works outline the rules by which we make our efforts to serve the c…
Hume on the Protestant Ethic and the Rise of English Commercial Spirit
This paper interprets the interaction between Protestantism and commercial spirit in David Hume’s account of English development, mostly drawing from The History of England . Hume saw Protestant theology—especially the more enthusiastic strains of English Puritanism—as having fortuitously shifted the landscape of political and economic sensibilities in England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries by affecting believers’ political, social, a…
Political Economy as an Ecumenical Creed: The Case of John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon's political and economic thought, which developed mainly in the American phase of his career, borrowed extensively from Francis Hutcheson and even David Hume, both of whom were his intellectual antagonists in Scotland. This fact has led some scholars to conclude that there is a discontinuity between the American and Scottish phases of Witherspoon's career. A more plausible interpretation, however, is that political economy had be…
Philosophy (9 works) · Epistemology (7 works) · Economics (6 works) · Law (6 works) · Political science (6 works) · Sociology (6 works) · Adam smith (5 works) · Philosophical Ethics and Theory (5 works) · American Constitutional Law and Politics (4 works) · Politics (4 works)