Adam Smith's Theory of Social Science

Becker, James F.

doi:10.2307/1055610

Cited by 30 publications

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“…The literature generally recognizes that, in Smith’s essay, language takes shape by moving from concrete to abstract, from simple to complex (cf. Becker 1961, p. 15), where the more it is abstract, the more it is able to deal with complexity. Yet, a close examination shows that this is only the first part of the process.…”

Section: Languages a Possible View Of The Analytic-synthetic Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adam Smith on Method: Newtonianism, History, Institutions, and the “Invisible Hand”

Fiori¹

2012

J Hist Econ Thought

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Smith was influenced by Newton’s method. Nonetheless, he introduced elements that led him far from the Newtonian perspective. The present essay analyzes how historical dimensions, contingencies, institutions, and conflicting human inclinations modify a Newtonian horizon. Finally, the paper focuses on how, in Smith’s view, institutions determine “unintended outcomes,” which are sometimes opposed to those of the market. In this sense, the “invisible hand” is not only the result of the behavior of myopic individuals trying to improve their conditions; it is also the outcome of the work of institutions that operate as structures autonomous with respect to individuals.

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Section: Languages a Possible View Of The Analytic-synthetic Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adam Smith on Method: Newtonianism, History, Institutions, and the “Invisible Hand”

Fiori¹

2012

J Hist Econ Thought

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“… 2 The relationship of human nature to scientific activities as represented in Smith’s work was primarily noted by Becker (1961), Thomson (1965), Lindgren (1973), Skinner (1974) and Wightman (1975). …”

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confidence: 99%

“… 6 A broadly empiricist perspective, including the positivistic approach, has been offered by Bittermann (1940), Taylor (1960), Becker (1961), Campbell (1971) and Fleischacker (2004). …”

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confidence: 99%

Philosophy and science in Adam Smith’s ‘History of Astronomy’

Kim

2017

History of the Human Sciences

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This article casts light on the intimate relationship between metaphysics and science in Adam Smith’s thought. Understanding this relationship can help in resolving an enduring dispute or misreading concerning the status and role of natural theology and the ‘invisible hand’ doctrine. In Smith’s scientific realism, ontological issues are necessary prerequisites for scientific inquiry, and metaphysical ideas thus play an organizing and regulatory role. Smith also recognized the importance of scientifically informed metaphysics in science’s historical development. In this sense, for Smith, the metaphysico-scientific link (i.e. metaphysically coherent conjecture), was a basic criterion of scientific validation by Inference to the Best Explanation. Furthermore, Smith’s comments implicitly suggest that in scientific progress there is a dialectic between metaphysics and science. These themes are illustrated primarily through his writings on the history of astronomy.

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Adam Smith's Lost Legacy

Evensky

2001

Southern Economic Journal

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This piece outlines Adam Smith's moral philosophical vision. It traces the central role he ascribed to civic ethics as an antidote to the incentives for rent‐seeking and thus as a key element in the successful development of a constructive, cohesive liberal society. The case is made that standard neoclassical analysis, as represented by the work of Gary Becker, identifies no such antidote and thus cannot model the constructive liberal case. The best modern work on the issue is that of Amartya Sen and of James Buchanan. Sen's work and its relation to Smith's vision are examined.

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Adam Smith's Theory of Social Science

Cited by 30 publications

References 0 publications

Adam Smith on Method: Newtonianism, History, Institutions, and the “Invisible Hand”

Adam Smith on Method: Newtonianism, History, Institutions, and the “Invisible Hand”

Philosophy and science in Adam Smith’s ‘History of Astronomy’

Adam Smith's Lost Legacy

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