Adam Smith and the Family

Sebastiano Nerozzi () and Pierluigi Nuti

Working Papers - Economics from Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa

Abstract: This paper examines Adam Smith’s vision of family life and the role of the family in society as it stems from the Theory of Moral Sentiments. We first discuss textual evidences of Smith’s vision of gender differences and of the relationships between the sexes. Then we turn to TMS’s analysis of marriage and family life, exploring the importance of sentiments in strengthening family bonds and in fostering individuals’ moral education. Then we enlarge our perspective, considering Smith’s view on the role of the family within society, especially as market and non market relationships are concerned. Finally, we focus on Smith’s vision of the possible threats which life in Commercial societies may impose to family life, loosening parental ties and weakening those fellow-feelings which, according to Smith, play a paramount role in the moral education and proper behaviour of individuals in a free society. On the whole this paper acts as a first step in a wider project which includes the Wealth of Nations and focuses especially on economic issues regarding family life.

Keywords: Adam Smith; Moral Philosophy; Family; Gender; Education. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 B12 B31 I20 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 38 pages
Date: 2008
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-his, nep-hpe and nep-soc
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:frz:wpaper:wp2008_04

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