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The Theory of Moral Sentiments

Adam Smith · 1759

Smith's 1759 book on ethics, sympathy and the 'impartial spectator', written before his famous economic work.

Smith's own earlier philosophical work, written before his economic masterpiece, showing his roots as a moral philosopher.

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Scan of the title page of the 1759 first edition of The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith, Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. Centered ornament below. Imprint reads London: Printed for A. Millar, in the Strand, and A. Kincaid and J. Bell, in Edinburgh, MDCCLIX.
Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, 1759. First edition title page.

About this source

What it is

The Theory of Moral Sentiments is a book by Adam Smith, first published in 1759 while he was Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow. The image here shows the title page of that first edition.

Why it matters

Before Smith became known as an economist, he was a moral philosopher. This book explains how people judge right and wrong through 'sympathy', imagining themselves in another person's situation, and introduces the idea of an 'impartial spectator' who checks our behaviour. It laid the ethical and philosophical groundwork for his later economic ideas, including an early use of the phrase 'invisible hand'. The book shows that Smith's famous economic theories grew out of deeper questions about human nature and morality.

Look closer

  • Why might understanding sympathy help explain how people behave in markets?
  • What does Smith mean by imagining yourself in someone else's situation?
  • How does this book change how you think about the 'invisible hand' in his later work?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Adam Smith on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith, LL.D. and F.R.S., formerly Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. In two volumes, Vol. I. London, printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, in the Strand, MDCCLXXVI.Book

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The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith · 1776

Black and white engraving of a standing man in profile wearing a tricorn hat, powdered wig, and long buttoned coat, holding a cane, beside a round table with books and an inkstand. Bookshelves and a checkered floor are behind him. Caption below reads 'The Author of the Wealth of Nations'. Signed 'RAY' and dated 1790 at lower left.Painting

Primary source

Adam Smith, 1790

John Kay · 1790

Oil painting of a man in a powdered white wig and dark high-collared coat with blue-tinged shading, turned to the left, against a dark brown background. He has a slight closed-mouth expression.Painting

Secondary source

The Muir Portrait of Adam Smith

Unknown · c. 1790

Evening photo of Panmure House, a stone building with lit windows and a glass-fronted entrance at street level, with a sign reading Adam Smith's Panmure House. Dusk sky, paved street in foreground.Artifact

Primary source

Panmure House

1691-1693 (built); Smith resided 1778-1790

Oil portrait of an older man with white powdered hair in curled rolls over the ears, wearing a dark coat with a high collar and a white cravat. He looks off to the side against a dark brown background, lit from the left.Painting

Secondary source

Adam Smith, Political Economist, Portrait of 1800

Unknown (Scottish) · c. 1800

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