The Problem of Natural Religion in Smith's Moral Thought
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5305481 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Colin Heydt (0000-0002-7706-8332, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2017 |
| Volume | 78 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 73-94 |
| Publication date | 2017-01-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of the History of Ideas (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-5037 • E-ISSN: 1086-3222 |
| Publisher | Project MUSE (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1353/jhi.2017.0003 |
| OpenAlex | W2586270488 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 3 |
A number of recent interpretations defend the description of Adam Smith as "a strong supporter of natural theology" and claim that his moral philosophy depends, in some way, on God and God’s providence. This paper argues against that claim using novel evidence. What I demonstrate is that Smith took positions at odds with a conventional commitment to natural religion’s importance for morality. In particular, I show that it is hard to square Smith’s alleged support of natural religion with his account of conscience, his natural rights theory, and his omission of piety from his catalog of virtues
Adam smith · Conscience · Epistemology · Morality · Natural (archaeology) · Natural law · Natural Philosophy · Natural theology · Piety · Supporter · Theology · History · Philosophical Ethics and Theory · Philosophy · Religion, Gender, and Enlightenment · Religious studies · Theology and Philosophy of Evil
Adam Smith on Religious Psychology in Society
Idleness and the Very Sparing Hand of God
The Vicegerent of God? Adam Smith on the Authority of the Impartial Spectator
On the Role of Pure and Rational Religion in Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations
Impartial Spectators and Legislators
Adam Smith, Anti-Stoic
Adam Smith’s genealogy of religion
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2019 - 2026 (8) |
| Highly cited | No |