Part VII: Of Systems of Moral Philosophy explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Corruption of Moral Sentiments by Wealth and Rank

  Smith critiques Mandeville's system for reducing all virtue to vanity, highlighting how the desire for praise corrupts genuine moral sentiments.

• Self-Love and the Social Order

  The chapter examines systems that derive morality from self-love, such as Epicurus's, and contrasts them with sympathy-based accounts.

Characters to notice

• Epicurus

  Epicurus's system is examined as one that derives virtue from prudence and pleasure.

• Dr. Hutcheson

  Hutcheson's system of moral sense and benevolence is discussed and critiqued.

• Dr. Mandeville

  Mandeville's licentious system that reduces virtue to vanity is analyzed.

• Plato

  Plato's system of virtue as the proper government of the soul is referenced.

• Aristotle

  Aristotle's system of virtue as a mean between extremes is mentioned.

Key passages

• “The character of virtue, it was observed, must be beautiful; and the character of vice, deformed.”

  Virtue is inherently attractive, while vice is repulsive.

  Smith summarizes the aesthetic approach to morality found in some systems.

• “According to Dr. Hutcheson, the moral sense is a distinct and independent principle of the human mind.”

  Hutcheson argues that we have an innate sense that directly approves of benevolence and disapproves of selfishness.

  Smith presents Hutcheson's theory of a dedicated moral sense.

• “The system of Dr. Mandeville, though it had the good fortune to be attacked by many, has never been so fully confuted as it deserved.”

  Mandeville's theory, while widely criticized, has not been adequately refuted.

  Smith acknowledges the challenge of fully disproving Mandeville's cynical view of virtue.