Self-Interest Before Adam Smith
by Pierre ForceLorraine Daston (Contribution by)Dorothy Ross (Contribution by)Quentin Skinner (Contribution by)James Tully (Contribution by)
Format: Hardcover
ISBN13: 9780521830607
Hardcover|9780521830607
✨ Featured Offer
Brand New
$50.96
List Price: $113.00
🚚
See all 2 offers from $50.96 FREE standard delivery by: 29 Mar 2026
Overview
Self-Interest before Adam Smith inquires into the foundations of economic theory. It is generally assumed that the birth of modern economic science, marked by the publication of The Wealth of Nations in 1776, was the triumph of the 'selfish hypothesis' (the idea that self-interest is the motive of human action). Yet, as a neo-Epicurean idea, this hypothesis had been a matter of controversy for over a century and Smith opposed it from a neo-Stoic point of view. But how can the Epicurean principles of orthodox economic theory be reconciled with the Stoic principles of Adam Smith's philosophy? Pierre Force shows how Smith's theory refutes the 'selfish hypothesis' and integrates it at the same time. He also explains how Smith appropriated Rousseau's 'republican' critique of modern commercial society, and makes the case that the autonomy of economic science is an unintended consequence of Smith's 'republican' principles.
| ISBN-13 | 9780521830607 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 0521830605 |
| Weight | 1.34 Pounds |
| Dimensions | 6.02 x 0.91 x 9.16 In |
| List Price | $113.00 |
| Edition | 1st Edition |
| Format | Hardcover |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Pages | 298 pages |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Published On | 2003-09-04 |
View All Offers
Sort by:
Price
Condition
Seller
Seller Comments
Price
✨ Brand New
Seller details
discount_scientific_books
Sterling Heights, MI, USA
New Book Original US edition, We Ship to PO BOX Address also.
Free delivery by: 29 Mar 2026
Brand New
Seller details
Alibris
Sparks, NV, USA
Print on demand Ideas in Context . Intended for professional and scholarly audience.
Free delivery by: 29 Mar 2026