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Abstract
Over two centuries have passed since Adam Smith’s seminal works, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (TMS) and The Wealth of Nations (WN), were introduced to the world, yet his theorization on social progress and human development remains incredibly timeless and pertinent. Among the various forms that this discussion can take, one of the central points of concern relates to the dynamics of social contexts and their interference in individual choices. In the modern world, extreme poverty and scarcity, driven partially by wars and pandemics, are contexts that continue to challenge human progress and societal stability. Such a concern had already been foreseen by Smith when he stated that “no society can surely be flourishing and happy of which by far the greater part of the numbers are poor and miserable” (WN I.viii.36,96; see also WN I.i, 9; TMS II.ii.3.2, 86).
Contemporarily, OXFAM’s 2022 data indicates that about 263 million people are currently living below the poverty line. Such is the situation in developing countries like Brazil and the vast majority of Latin American nations, where circumstances marked by scarcity, inequality, and poverty have increased citizens’ vulnerability. This leads us to theorize about two points. From one perspective, these extreme contexts impact the moral perception of agents and tend to corrupt the moral sentiments of individuals (TMS I.iii.3,62). As a result, they can provoke feelings of injustice and resentment, and even selfish behaviors. This occurs because circumstances like these complicate ethical decision-making and intensify self-interest, impacting the development of the inner impartial spectator and moral judgment. In this way, these contexts have an impact on agents’ emotions as well as their capacity for rationality and the development of agency.
In contrast, challenging contexts, such as poverty and inequality, in liberal societies tend to create tension between the non-interventionist nature of the liberal state (WN IV.ix,51) and the promotion of human progress (WN IV.ix, 63). On either side of the coin, people suffer from interference in this context. The discussion in this paper explores how these issues directly impact theses on human progress and commercial society, which leads us to address Smith’s theories on social, moral, and economic problems in developing societies.
This paper aims to understand how the context of inequality and vulnerability – referred to here as a challenging context - can impact the moral development of individuals through the lens of Smith’s moral theory. To achieve this, we will explore how preserving the integrity of individuals’ moral sentiments can promote human development and societal stability. Furthermore, this paper examines the political tension between the liberal state and human progress, questioning whether the state can promote human development without compromising its laissez-faire stance.
Keywords: Human Progress, Moral Sentiments, Poverty, Liberal State.
| Organization | Ufpel/Unochapecó |
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