Self-Interest before Adam Smith A Genealogy of Economic Science [Hardcover]

A conceptual and historical inquiry into the concept of self-interest before Adam Smith.Pierre Force studies the history of the concept of self-interest before Adam Smith, in order to understand what it meant when Adam Smith used it as an axiom in The Wealth of Nations. He shows that Smith, unlike many of his predecessors and contemporaries, never endorsed the idea that self-interest is the cause of all human action. At the same time, the 'selfish hypothesis' did have a place in his doctrine. This book sheds light on classic puzzles of economic theory and is a major work from an outstanding scholar.Pierre Force studies the history of the concept of self-interest before Adam Smith, in order to understand what it meant when Adam Smith used it as an axiom in The Wealth of Nations. He shows that Smith, unlike many of his predecessors and contemporaries, never endorsed the idea that self-interest is the cause of all human action. At the same time, the 'selfish hypothesis' did have a place in his doctrine. This book sheds light on classic puzzles of economic theory and is a major work from an outstanding scholar.Pierre Force studies the history of the concept of self-interest to understand its meaning by the time that Adam Smith used it as an axiom in The Wealth of Nations. He demonstrates that Smith, unlike many of his predecessors and contemporaries, never endorsed the idea that self-interest is the motivation behind all human action, although the selfish hypothesis did have a place in his doctrine. This book provides insight on classic puzzles of economic theory and is a major work from an outstanding scholar.Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Self-interest as a first principle; 2. Epicurean vs. stoic schemes; 3. Self-interest and reason; 4. Passions, interests and society; 5. Interested and disinterested commerce; 6. Self-interest and the public good; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.