Adam Smith on Duty and ‘the Great Division’ of the Human Spirit
Why Read This
What Makes This Article Worth Your Time
Summary
What This Article Is About
Barry Brownstein explores Adam Smith’s moral philosophy through the lens of baseball Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, whose career embodied Smith’s concept of praiseworthiness over mere praise. Using Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Brownstein argues that civilization depends on individuals prioritizing duty and self-command over transitory emotions and self-interest.
Smith’s framework distinguishes between the “selfish and benevolent” aspects of human nature, advocating for adherence to general rules of conduct through the guidance of an impartial spectator. The article warns that when individuals abandon duty for personal comfort and worthlessness, the very foundation of human society risks collapse, making self-discipline and responsibility essential for both personal excellence and social stability.
Key Points
Main Takeaways
Praiseworthiness Over Praise
Smith distinguishes between seeking earned recognition through genuine achievement versus accepting unmerited applause, arguing wise individuals prioritize deserving praise over receiving it.
The Impartial Spectator
Smith introduces an internal moral judge that allows us to step outside our biased perspectives and evaluate our actions objectively, creating psychological distance from self-justifying narratives.
Duty as Foundation
General rules of conduct provide the framework for consistent ethical behavior, enabling stable social cooperation even when personal feelings or inclinations suggest otherwise.
Selfish Versus Benevolent
Smith identifies humanity’s fundamental division between self-serving impulses and other-regarding sentiments, emphasizing the necessity of cultivating self-command to balance these competing drives.
Action Over Contemplation
Smith prioritizes practical ethical action over philosophical speculation, arguing that fulfilling even small duties matters more than expressing noble sentiments without corresponding behavior.
Civilization’s Dependence
The survival of human society relies on widespread adherence to duty rather than yielding to transitory passions, as collective worthlessness threatens social foundations.
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Article Analysis
Breaking Down the Elements
Main Idea
Duty as Civilization’s Cornerstone
The article’s central thesis posits that Adam Smith’s moral philosophy, particularly his concept of duty grounded in self-command and the impartial spectator, provides the essential framework for both individual excellence and societal stability. By contrasting earned praiseworthiness with unmerited praise, Smith establishes that true human worth derives from consistently fulfilling obligations regardless of transitory emotional states or personal inclinations.
Purpose
Advocating Moral Revival
Brownstein writes to persuade readers that contemporary society’s drift toward nihilism and worthlessness—characterized by elevating personal comfort over responsibility—threatens civilization’s foundations. Using Ichiro as an exemplar and Smith as philosophical authority, the author advocates for reviving a culture of duty, self-command, and adherence to general moral principles as antidotes to modern aimlessness.
Structure
Exemplar → Philosophical → Prescriptive
The piece opens with Ichiro’s Hall of Fame induction as concrete embodiment of Smithian principles, transitions to systematic explication of Smith’s moral philosophy including praiseworthiness, the impartial spectator, duty, and self-command, then concludes with direct prescriptive guidance urging readers to adopt these principles. This progression from relatable example to abstract theory to practical application creates accessibility while maintaining philosophical rigor.
Tone
Admonitory, Philosophical & Earnest
Brownstein adopts an urgent, morally serious tone that blends philosophical gravitas with contemporary critique. The writing warns against modern tendencies toward worthlessness while maintaining intellectual rigor through extensive Smith quotations and careful philosophical explication, ultimately conveying profound concern for civilization’s trajectory while offering hope through individual moral renewal.
Key Terms
Vocabulary from the Article
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Tough Words
Challenging Vocabulary
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Capable of being proven false or disproven through evidence; able to be shown as incorrect when tested against observable facts.
“If you listen to most modern athletes, they spout immediately falsifiable clichés about believing in themselves as a key to success.”
Giving tangible or concrete form to an abstract concept; representing or exemplifying an idea through actual behavior or physical presence.
“Ichiro was embodying not only modern research on the role of practice but also what Adam Smith… identified as the desire for praiseworthiness.”
Extremely delicate, refined, or intense in quality; showing exceptional sensitivity, discrimination, or excellence in perception or feeling.
“He who joins, to the most perfect command of his own original and selfish feelings, the most exquisite sensibility both to the original and sympathetic feelings of others.”
Of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire awe or reverence; elevated or noble in thought, character, or expression.
“The most sublime speculation of the contemplative philosopher can scarce compensate the neglect of the smallest active duty.”
A person who rejects moral principles and believes life has no inherent meaning, purpose, or value; one who denies objective truth or established authority.
“The nihilist purposelessness that many have adopted, philosopher Bernardo Kastrup argues, is a way to release ourselves from any uncomfortable feeling of responsibility or duty.”
Lasting only briefly; temporary, fleeting, or impermanent in nature; passing quickly and not enduring over time.
“Smith helps us understand that civilization progresses or regresses depending on our adherence to duty and our willingness to overlook our transitory feelings.”
Reading Comprehension
Test Your Understanding
5 questions covering different RC question types
1According to the article, Adam Smith believed that philosophical speculation about ethics is more valuable than performing small acts of duty.
2What does Smith identify as “a principle of the greatest consequence in human life” that allows most people to direct their actions?
3Which sentence best captures Smith’s view on how individuals should balance their competing internal drives?
4Based on the article, evaluate these statements about Adam Smith’s moral philosophy:
Smith believed that weak people are more satisfied by unmerited praise than wise people are.
According to Smith, individuals should assert their self-interest against the rest of the world.
Smith argued that the survival of human society depends on adherence to duty over transitory feelings.
Select True or False for all three statements, then click “Check Answers”
5What can be inferred about the author’s view of contemporary culture based on the article’s argument?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The impartial spectator is Smith’s concept of an internal moral judge that allows us to step outside our biased perspective and evaluate our actions objectively. By removing ourselves from our “natural station” and viewing our sentiments “as at a certain distance,” we can escape self-justifying narratives and assess whether our conduct aligns with genuine moral principles rather than self-interest.
Smith argues that praiseworthiness means actually deserving recognition through genuine achievement and merit, while praise is simply receiving acclaim regardless of whether it’s earned. Wise individuals seek to become worthy of praise through their actions rather than seeking applause itself. Unmerited praise should be “mortifying” rather than satisfying because it highlights the gap between what we are and what we ought to be.
Self-command is the ability to control one’s emotions, impulses, and selfish feelings in order to fulfill duties and adhere to moral principles regardless of transitory moods. It enables individuals to act based on maxims and general rules rather than “humour, inclination, or interest.” Self-command allows people to perform their obligations consistently even when they don’t feel like it, distinguishing honorable persons from those who drift into worthlessness.
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This article is rated Advanced because it engages with sophisticated philosophical concepts from Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments, requires understanding of abstract moral philosophy, and employs academic vocabulary like “praiseworthiness,” “impartial spectator,” and “nihilist purposelessness.” The argument structure demands readers synthesize historical philosophy with contemporary cultural critique while following complex cause-and-effect relationships between individual ethics and societal stability.
Ichiro exemplifies Smith’s philosophical principles through concrete action rather than abstract theory. His emphasis on duty to fans and teammates, focus on earned achievement through practice rather than innate talent, and unwavering commitment regardless of circumstances demonstrate praiseworthiness, self-command, and adherence to maxims. Using a modern athlete makes Smith’s 18th-century philosophy accessible and demonstrates its continued relevance to contemporary excellence.
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