Abstract
Adam Smith observes that the gradual dissolution of the ties among the kinsmen of a clan or of those in a close-knit society is a historical consequence of the development of commerce, which in turn, gives rise to a society of strangers, especially in international commercial society. Moral philosophy must respond to these natural and inexorable historical changes. In The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Smith distinguishes between three kinds of morality: great men’s virtues, ordinary people’s virtues and justice. The principle underlying ordinary virtues and justice is self-love in its finest and socialized form: one takes care of his own happiness while equally respecting the interests and happiness of others. The best habitat for such a socialized self-love is the company of strangers, as this helps one reduce his selfish drive down to a level acceptable to others. Having been socialized, homo economicus is capable of conceiving of one another with commensurate self-love and justice, and these become the new prevailing principles setting commercial society on track. Consequentially, in commercial society, strangers are ethicized and legalized, able to enact the citizenship and pseudo-kinship they have established voluntarily. The society that Smith analyzes in the Wealth of Nations is the society of strangers. Its ethical principles are ordinary virtues, justice and socialized self-love. This article concludes that the Smithian ethics for the society of strangers is not only a common theme between TMS and WN, but also a hermeneutic bridge connecting them.
Keywords
Adam Smith, the Scottish Enlightenment, stranger, commercial society, self-love
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