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Adam Smith On Method: Newtonianism, History, Institutions, And The €Œinvisible Handâ€

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  • FIORI, STEFANO

Abstract

Smith was influenced by Newton’s method. Nonetheless, he introduced elements that led him far from the Newtonian perspective. The present essay analyzes how historical dimensions, contingencies, institutions, and conflicting human inclinations modify a Newtonian horizon. Finally, the paper focuses on how, in Smith’s view, institutions determine “unintended outcomes,†which are sometimes opposed to those of the market. In this sense, the “invisible hand†is not only the result of the behavior of myopic individuals trying to improve their conditions; it is also the outcome of the work of institutions that operate as structures autonomous with respect to individuals.

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  • Fiori, Stefano, 2012. "Adam Smith On Method: Newtonianism, History, Institutions, And The €Œinvisible Handâ€," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 34(3), pages 411-435, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jhisec:v:34:y:2012:i:03:p:411-435_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Madarász, Aladár, 2014. "A láthatatlan kéz - szemelvények egy metafora történetéből [The invisible hand - extracts from the history of a metaphor]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(7), pages 801-844.
    2. Paganelli, Maria Pia & Simon, Fabrizio & Assistant, JHET, 2020. "Crime and Punishment: Adam Smith’s Theory of Sentimental Law and Economics," OSF Preprints x82yh, Center for Open Science.

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