Inquiry into James Mill’s interpretation of Adam Smith’s love of praiseworthiness

Victor Bianchini

Table of Contents

Abstract

This paper focuses on the relation between James Mill and Adam Smith on the matter of the love of praiseworthiness. First, it shows that Mill was a reader of Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments. Second, it deals with Mill’s interpretation of Smith’s love of praiseworthiness. According to Mill, though Smith “eloquently described” the love of praiseworthiness, he did not explain it. Mill offered such an explanation by claiming that a kind of moral calculation is the foundation of the love of praiseworthiness. Finally, it shows that, though some passages of TMS are sometimes close to Mill’s interpretation, the latter is not faithful to Smith’s treatise of moral philosophy.

JEL Codes : B12, B30.

Keywords

  • James Mill
  • Adam Smith
  • love of praiseworthiness
  • classical utilitarianism

Outline

  1. Introduction
  2. Mill on Smith’s love of praiseworthiness: a matter of moral calculation
    1. James Mill: a reader of Adam Smith
    2. Natural dignity as the object of moral calculation
    3. The moral calculation as the foundation of the love of praiseworthiness
  3. Is Mill’s interpretation faithful to TMS?
    1. The object of the love of praiseworthiness
    2. The foundation of the love of praiseworthiness: a virtuous intended action producing pleasurable consequence
    3. The love of praiseworthiness, pleasure and the question of its anticipation
  4. Concluding remarks: a reductionist interpretation of Smith’s love of praiseworthiness

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