The Theory of Moral Sentiments; Or; An Essay Towards an Analysis of the Principles by which Men Naturally Judge Concerning the Conduct and Character, First of Their Neighbors, and Afterwards Themselves.

SMITH, Adam.

Item Number: 135155

London: Printed for A. Strahan; and T. Cadell in the Strand, 1790.

Rare presentation copy of Smith’s first book which provided the ethical, philosophical, psychological, and methodological underpinnings to his later works, including The Wealth of Nations (1776). Octavo, two volumes bound in full contemporary calf, rebacked retaining contemporary morocco spine labels lettered in gilt. Sixth edition and the last lifetime edition “with considerable additions and corrections.” Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the verso of the title page of volume one, “Alan Maconochie Esquire From The Author.” The recipient, Allan Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank was a Scottish judge, academic jurist, and founding member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s national academy of science and letters. With the ownership signatures of the recipient and his son, James Allan Meadowbank to the front free endpaper of each volume as well as James Allan’s bookplate to each pastedown. In good condition. Exceedingly rare and desirable signed by Smith.

Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments, his first book, is "one of the truly outstanding books in the intellectual history of the world" (Amartya Sen). First published in 1759, it laid the foundation for Wealth of Nations and proposed the theory repeated in the later work: that self-seeking men are often "led by an invisible hand… without knowing it, without intending it, to advance the interest of the society." "The fruit of his Glasgow years… Moral Sentiments would be enough to assure the author a respected place among Scottish moral philosophers, and Smith himself ranked it above the Wealth of Nations… Its central idea is the concept, closely related to conscience, of the impartial spectator who helps man to distinguish right from wrong. For the same purpose, Immanuel Kant invented the categorical imperative and Sigmund Freud the superego" (Niehans, 62). Basing moral sentiment on "the power one man has of putting himself in the place of another," in contrast to Hume's idea of self-interest, "Smith was henceforth recognized as one of the first authors of the day" (DNB). With Moral Sentiments and Wealth of Nations Smith created "not merely a treatise on moral philosophy and a treatise on economics, but a complete moral and political philosophy, in which the two elements of history and theory were to be closely conjoined" (Palgrave III:412-13).