Group Analytics in Adam Smith’s Work

David Levy and Sandra J. Peart ()
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Sandra J. Peart: University of Richmond

Eastern Economic Journal, 2016, vol. 42, issue 4, No 3, 514-527

Abstract: Abstract The link between occupation and character began with David Hume and was extended by Adam Smith in service to their attack on the doctrine of innate national character. A worker’s awareness of the relative approbative rewards to occupation is central to Smith’s competitive labor market equilibrium. When the division of labor is extended by growth, the variance of character increases. With this insight Smith was able to offer a race-blind theory of civilization, something that escaped even Hume. Nineteenth century anthropological focus on the variance of character can be seen as a racialization of Smith’s work.

Keywords: national character; race; occupation; Adam Smith; David Hume; B12; J70 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1057/s41302-016-0004-y

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