Adam Smith's Theory of Self-preservation and Sympathy in the History of Economic Thought: Evolutionary Psychology as a Foundation of Economics

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25380258
• 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: Kyushu Sangyo University
• Principal Investigator: TAKA Tetsuo 九州産業大学, 経済・ビジネス研究科, 教授 (90106790)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: アダム・スミス / 共感 / 道徳感情 / 正義 / 効用 / 自己愛 / 思いやり / 進化心理学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Significant results are next four points. Firstly, the discourses on “justice” in TMS had close and direct connections with Smith’s arguments on the role of the state, especially of the promotion of education and arts in addition to the establishment of better and workable regal system in WN. Secondly, the main point in the discourses on “utility” of TMS was the distinction between personal utilities and “public utilities” both being confused frequently. Thirdly, the most careful works on the revising process of TMS were to give distinct conception of “impartial spectator” without referring to any “God.” Fourthly, although no biographical scholar ever mentioned, Smith was one of the members of The Edinburgh Musical Society from 1768 to 1790 and loved Corelli and Handel, so that his frequent mentions on music and musical harmony came directly from his own experiences and enjoyments rather than book readings.

Free Research Field

経済学史・思想史