An Historical Inquiry into Adam Smith's Economic Thoughts on Equality

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K03382
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Economic doctrine/Economic thought
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Niimura Satoshi 岡山大学, 社会文化科学研究科, 名誉教授 (00167561)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: アダム・スミス / 平等 / 分配的正義 / 大きな政府

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There has been controversy about whether Adam Smith is an economic egalitarian because he expresses at least four distinct views on equality, in two of which, he approves of inequality and in the other two, he claims otherwise. The purpose of this research is to consider these four views carefully to understand Smith’s complete position on equality. This research also examines Smith’s apparently contradictory views on equality as his evolving response to Hume and Rousseau’s critiques of inequality. According to Smith, an equal and opulent society will evolve. A primitive society is equal but poor. In contrast, an existing civilized society is opulent but unequal. In each society, equality and opulence are incompatible. However, Smith believes that a future civilized society will fully achieve both equality and opulence.　This research analyses both historically and theoretically the comprehensive structure of Smith’s egalitarian views.

Free Research Field

History of Economic Thought

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は，スミスの平等思想の構造と特質を歴史的かつ理論的に解明して，内外におけるスミス思想史研究に貢献した。また本研究は，スミスの経済理論，経済政策論，財政論などをめぐる小さな政府論と大きな政府論という伝統的な対立を総合する新しい見解を示すことによって，内外のスミス研究に知的刺激を与えている。