ASW Reading Group

What Adam Smith Can Teach Us About Civil Discourse

What Adam Smith Can Teach Us about Civil Discourse

Wednesday evenings through April at 6:00 p.m. EDT.

When you join the meeting, your microphone will be muted but your webcam should be on to facilitate the best environment for discussion. Be sure to attend the first session for an overview of how to use the Zoom platform as well as for an introductory discussion of the work.

Session 1: Introduction

3 April, 6:00 p.m. EDT for 30–60 min

Reading (listening): Russ Roberts and Mike Munger on How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life

Session 2: Discussion 1 - Smith’s System of Mutual Sympathy

10 April, 6:00 p.m. EDT for 60 min

Reading: Part I, Section I “Of the Sense of Propriety,” Chapters I-V (Liberty Fund paperback edition, pp. 9-26)

Chapter 1: Of Sympathy

Chapter 2: Of the pleasure of mutual Sympathy

Chapter 3: Of the manner in which we judge of the propriety or impropriety of the affections of other men, by their concord or dissonance with our own

Chapter 4: The same subject continued

Chapter 5: Of the amiable and respectable virtues

Session 3: Discussion 2 - The importance of judgement

17 April, 6:00 p.m. EDT for 60 min

Reading: Part II Section 1 "Of the Sense of Merit and Demerit", Introduction and Chapter 1 (Liberty Fund paperback edition, pp. 67–69);

Introduction

Chapter 1: That whatever appears to be the proper object of gratitude, appears to deserve reward; and that, in the same manner, whatever appears to be the proper object of resentment, appears to deserve punishment

Part II Section 2 "Of Justice and Beneficence" (pp. 78–91)

Chapter 1: Comparison of these two virtues

Chapter 2: Of the sense of Justice, of Remorse, and of the consciousness of Merit

Chapter 3: Of the utility of this constitution of nature

Session 4: Discussion 3 (final) - When we fail to sympathize

24 April, 6:00 p.m. EDT for 60 min

Reading: Part 1, Section 3, “Of the Effects of Prosperity and Adversity upon the Judgment of Mankind with regard to the Propriety of Action; and why it is more easy to obtain their Approbation in the one state than in the other”, chapters 2–3 (Liberty Fund paperback edition, pp. 50–66)

Chapter 2: Of the origin of Ambition, and of the distinction of ranks

Chapter 3: Of the corruption of our moral sentiments, which is occasioned by this disposition to admire the rich and the great, and the despise or neglect persons of poor and mean condition