Rules Within or Without? Adam Smith on the Role of Deontic Emotions in Diachronic Control

Laurie Bréban () and Laurent Jaffro ()
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Laurie Bréban: PHARE - Philosophie, Histoire et Analyse des Représentations Économiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Laurent Jaffro: ISJPS - Institut des sciences juridique et philosophique de la Sorbonne - UMR 8103 - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: The literature on internal commitment cites Adam Smith as a precursor because of his elaboration of diachronic control, and this has given rise to attempts to model his account. Some of these efforts stress the role he assigns to the "general rules of morality" by which the "bulk of mankind" ensure the constancy of their conduct, and interpret them as self-enforcing resolutions. But how could such internal tactics as adopted by weak agents be effective? How could the knowledge of general rules escape self-deception? We take a closer look at what Smith writes about beliefs and emotional dispositions regarding the important rules of morality.

Keywords: Deontic emotions; Adam Smith; Self-deception; Internal commitment; Diachronic control; Rules (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Published in Journal of the History of Economic Thought, In press

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-05262967

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