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The hidden theology of Adam Smith

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  • Lisa Hill

Abstract

This paper contests late readings of Adam Smith's 'invisible hand' as an essentially secular device. It is argued that Smith's social and economic philosophy is inherently theological and that his entire model of social order is logically dependent on the notion of God's action in nature. It will be shown that far from being a purely secular, materialist or evolutionist approach Smith works from the argument from design to construct a model that is teleological and securely located in the chain of being tradition. His focus upon happiness as the Final Cause of nature renders improbable any claims for proto-evolutionism in his work while his arguments about the deliberate endowment of defects in the human frame make no sense without the supposition of design and purpose in nature.

Suggested Citation

  • Lisa Hill, 2001. "The hidden theology of Adam Smith," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 1-29.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:eujhet:v:8:y:2001:i:1:p:1-29
    DOI: 10.1080/713765225
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Matson, Erik W., 2021. "The Edifying Discourses of Adam Smith: Focalism, Commerce, and Serving the Common Good," OSF Preprints uye54, Center for Open Science.
    2. Alvey, James E., 2004. "The Theological Foundation Of Adam Smith'S Work," Discussion Papers 23713, Massey University, Department of Applied and International Economics.
    3. James Alvey, 2004. "The hidden theology of Adam Smith: A belated reply to Hill," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(4), pages 623-628.
    4. Schliesser, Eric, 2011. "Reading Adam Smith after Darwin: On the evolution of propensities, institutions, and sentiments," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 14-22, January.
    5. Ahmad Jafari Samimi, 2011. "Ethonomics & the History of Economic Thought," Journal of Social and Development Sciences, AMH International, vol. 2(5), pages 223-232.
    6. Anthony Brewer, 2009. "On the Other (Invisible) Hand..," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 41(3), pages 519-543, Fall.
    7. Sigmund Wagner-Tsukamoto, 2010. "Out of a slave contract: the analysis of pre-Hobbesian anarchists in the Old Testament," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 288-307, September.
    8. Horn, Karen, 2019. "The difficult relationship between historical ordoliberalism and Adam Smith," Freiburg Discussion Papers on Constitutional Economics 19/3, Walter Eucken Institut e.V..
    9. Alvey, James E., 2004. "Context And Its Relevance For Adam Smith'S Theological And Teleological Views, The Foundation Of His System Of Thought," Discussion Papers 23715, Massey University, Department of Applied and International Economics.
    10. 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.
    11. Erik W. Matson, 2022. "What is liberal about Adam Smith's “liberal plan”?," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 89(2), pages 593-610, October.
    12. Walter O. Ötsch, 2006. "Gottes-Bilder und ökonomische Theorie: Naturtheologie und Moralität bei Adam Smith," Economics working papers 2006-15, Department of Economics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.
    13. Eric Schliesser, 2010. "Reading Adam Smith after Darwin: On the Evolution of Propensities, Institutions, and Sentiments," Post-Print hal-00921187, HAL.
    14. Ötsch, Walter, 2020. "Imagination und Bildlichkeit in der Geschichte der Wirtschaftstheorie: Von Adam Smith bis zur frühen Neoklassik," Working Paper Series 63, Cusanus Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung, Institut für Ökonomie.
    15. Harold Jones, 2010. "Marcus Aurelius, the Stoic Ethic, and Adam Smith," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 95(1), pages 89-96, August.
    16. Craig, Justin B. & Newbert, Scott L., 2020. "Reconsidering socioemotional wealth: A Smithian-inspired socio-economic theory of decision-making in the family firm," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(4).

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