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Adam Smith and Three Theories of Altruism

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Author Info
Elias L. KHALIL (American Institute for Economic Research, and Department of Economics, Vassar College)

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Abstract

Smith advanced a particular view of altruism that should prove to be relevant to the modem literature on the subject. It provided the back-bone of his critique of three different theories. These three theories have been reincarnated in three modem approaches : Robert Axelrod's "egoistic", Gary Becker's "egocentric", and George Herbert Mead and Robert Frank's "altercentric" views. Axelrod's approach repeats the failing, which Smith found in Mandeville's. Becker's theory echoes the shorteoming, which Smith identified in Hobbes'. Mead/Prank's view duplicates the fault, which Smith uncovered in the approach of Francis Hutcheson and other figures of the Scottish Enlightenment.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES) in its series Discussion Papers (REL - Recherches Economiques de Louvain) with number 2001044.

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Length: 16
Date of creation: 01 Dec 2001
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Handle: RePEc:ctl:louvre:2001044

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Related research
Keywords: Egoistic theory; egocentric theory; altercentric theory;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
B4 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology
D0 - Microeconomics - - General

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  1. Becker, Gary S, 1976. "Altruism, Egoism, and Genetic Fitness: Economics and Sociobiology," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 14(3), pages 817-26, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Khalil, Elias L., 1999. "Sentimental fools: a critique of Amartya Sen's notion of commitment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 373-386, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Elias Khalil, 1998. "Is Justice the Primary Feature of the State? Adam Smith's Critique of Social Contract Theory," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 215-230, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Sen, Amartya, 1985. "Goals, Commitment, and Identity," Journal of Law, Economics and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 1(2), pages 341-55, Fall.
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Elias Khalil, 2009. "Natural selection and rational decision: two concepts of optimization," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 417-435, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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This page was last updated on 2009-11-10.


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