In this thesis, I endeavour to make a contribution to the debate on the 'Adam
Smith Problem'. This is a long-standing debate and it concerns the relationship
between Smith's two major works, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (TMS) and An
Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (WN). Discussion of
this problem goes back to the 1840s, and it was formulated explicitly as a problem
not later than in the 1890s. The main question that is discussed is whether Smith's
work contains two fundamentally different concepts of human nature or, in other
words, whether there are two contradictory anthropological views. If there are two
fundamentally contradictory concepts of human nature, that is, if there are two
contradictory anthropological views in his work, how should this be explained?
Should this, for example, be explained by pointing to some fundamental changes in
Smith's anthropological views, or should it be explained by pointing to his
theoretical and methodological approaches? So, for example, when he developed his
concept of human nature, did Smith employ a methodological dualistic approach? In
this thesis I endeavour to develop an answer to the above-mentioned question.My main claim in this thesis is that there is one concept of human nature in
Smith's work. But I suggest that this concept consists of two complementary
elements. The first one is a general normative view of human nature and the second
and more particular one is an account of the human situation in commercial society.
There is indeed a contradiction between these two aspects of Smith's anthropological
view. I suggest, however, unlike many scholars, that this contradiction should not be
ascribed conceptually to Smith, as many scholars claim explicitly and many others
accept more or less implicitly. My main argument is that this problem should not be
seen as a conceptual problem of Smith's. I suggest rather that this is a real problem
arising from social relations in commercial society, which is mirrored and indeed
reflected upon critically in Smith's work. However, in the last 150 years or so, there
have arisen many different approaches in an attempt to explain and solve this
problem. Therefore, in the introductory part of the thesis, firstly, I am going to work
out what the Adam Smith Problem is; secondly, I will present my own approach in
relation to other approaches; thirdly, I shall provide some information about the
relationship between the different parts of this thesis
