2025/08/19 by Jack Barbalet · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Philosophical Ethics and Theory #Political Philosophy and Ethics #American Constitutional Law and Politics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/09672567.2025.2546805
openalex publication_date 2025/08/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/14
As a pioneer analyst of commercial society, Smith’s treatment of envy invites attention. In line with traditional views, Smith regards envy as a detestable antisocial emotion and, against the moderns, he sees it as irrelevant to personal ambition and wellbeing. Smith regards sympathy, a unifying force in individualised and unequal commercial society, as vulnerable to the envy of have-nots against the great and wealthy. He identifies social inhibitors of envy, but they are different in TMS and WN. The relations between envy and emulation are explored. Smith’s account of envy is historically contextualised and his theoretical grasp of it analysed.