Essays on Philosophical Subjects
- Essays on Philosophical Subjects
"Essays on Philosophical Subjects", by the Scottish economist Adam Smith. A history of astronomy down to Smith's own era, plus some thoughts on ancient physics and metaphysics.
This work was published posthumously, in 1795, using material which Adam Smith had intended to publish eventually but had not prepared at the time of his death in 1790. This was done by his literary executors, two old friends from the Scottish academic world; physicist/chemist Joseph Black and pioneering geologist James Hutton. A brief account of their work appears in a section entitled 'Advertisement by the Editors'.
The book consists of three distinct works:
* The History of Astronomy
* The History of the Ancient Physics
* The History of the Ancient Logics and Metaphysics
The "History of Astronomy" is the largest of these and is thought to have been written in the 1750s, before Smith's major works. The overall understanding is excellent, though the Glasgow Edition of 1976 includes some detailed criticism of his use of sources. But also defends him for calling Newton a philosopher rather than a scientist; the word 'scientist' did not exist before 1839.
It is also interesting for containing Smith's first mention of the Invisible Hand:
:For it may be observed, that in all Polytheistic religions, among savages, as well as in the early ages of heathen antiquity, it is the irregular events of nature only that are ascribed to the agency and power of the gods. Fire burns, and water refreshes; heavy bodies descend, and lighter substances fly upwards, by the necessity of their own nature; nor was the invisible hand of Jupiter every apprehended to be employed in those matters. (III.2, page 49 of the Glasgow Edition.)
External links
* [http://oll.libertyfund.org/ToC/0141-04.php On-Line Edition]
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
SUBJECTS AND ISSUES — Marxism and Philosophy: Dialectics and Materialism ■ Balibar, Etienne. The Philosophy of Marx. London: Verso, 1995. ■ Bhaskar, Roy. Dialectics. London: Verso, 1992. ■ Callinicos, Alex. Marxism and Philosophy. London: Oxford University Press,… … Historical dictionary of Marxism
Philosophical skepticism — For a general discussion of skepticism, see Skepticism. Philosophical skepticism (from Greek σκέψις skepsis meaning enquiry UK spelling, scepticism) is both a philosophical school of thought and a method that crosses disciplines and cultures.… … Wikipedia
Enlightenment (The Scottish) — The Scottish Enlightenment M.A.Stewart INTRODUCTION The term ‘Scottish Enlightenment’ is used to characterize a hundred years of intellectual and cultural endeavour that started around the second decade of the eighteenth century. Our knowledge of … History of philosophy
Adam Smith — Infobox Philosopher region = Western Economists era = Classical economics (Modern economics) color = #B0C4DE name = Adam Smith birth = Baptised 16 June 1723 smaller| [OS: 5 June 1723] Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland death = death date and… … Wikipedia
Invisible hand — The invisible hand is a metaphor coined by the economist Adam Smith. Once in The Wealth of Nations and other writings, Smith demonstrated that, in a free market, an individual pursuing his own self interest tends to also promote the good of his… … Wikipedia
Smith, Adam — (baptized June 5, 1723, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scot. died July 17, 1790, Edinburgh) Scottish social philosopher and political economist. The son of a customs official, he studied at the Universities of Glasgow and Oxford. A series of public lectures in … Universalium
Glasgow — GLASGOW, a city, the seat of a university, and a sea port, having separate jurisdiction, locally in the Lower ward of the county of Lanark, and situated in longitude 4° 15 51 (W.), and latitude 55° 52 10 (N.), 23 miles (E. by S.) from Greenock … A Topographical dictionary of Scotland
СМИТ — (Smith) Адам (1723 1790) брит, экономист и философ. Род. в Шотландии, образование получил в ун тах Глазго и Оксфорда. В 1751 1763 проф. логики и моральной философии в Глазго. С. отличал широкий круг научных интересов этика, политическая экономия … Философская энциклопедия
The Theory of Moral Sentiments — was written by Adam Smith in 1759. It provided the ethical, philosophical, psychological and methodological underpinnings to Smith s later works, including The Wealth of Nations (1776), A Treatise on Public Opulence (1764) (first published in… … Wikipedia
Claude Yvon — The Abbé Claude Yvon (15 April 1714 – November 1791) was a French encyclopédiste, a savant who contributed to the Encyclopédie edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d Alembert.[1] Contents 1 Early career 2 Later career … Wikipedia
