The foundation for a general system of morals this 1749 work is a landmark in the history of moral and political thought. Readers familiar with Adam Smith from The Wealth of Nations will find this earlier book a revelation. Although the author is often misrepresented as a calculating rationalist who advises the pursuit of self-interest in the marketplace regardless of the human cost he was also interested in the human capacity for benevolence as The Theory of Moral Sentiments amply demonstrates.
The greatest prudence Smith suggests may lie in following economic self-interest in order to secure the basic necessities. This is only the first step however toward the much higher goal of achieving a morally virtuous life. Smith elaborates upon a theory of the imagination inspired by the philosophy of David Hume. His reasoning takes Hume's logic a step further by proposing a more sophisticated notion of sympathy leading to a series of highly original theories involving conscience moral judgment and virtue.
Smith's legacy consists of his reconstruction of the Enlightenment idea of a moral or social science that
embraces both political economy and the theory of law and government. His articulate expression of his philosophy continues to inspire and challenge modern readers.