The Role of the Imagination in Adam Smith’s Refutation of the Homo Economicus Thesis
Adam Smith’s moral philosophy is grounded in the role of the imagination in explaining the social order at a macro level and as a mechanism for affective identification at the micro level. In both cases, the role of the imagination in our moral psychology refutes the homo economicus thesis according...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidad Nacional de Colombia
2015-12-01
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| Series: | Ideas y Valores |
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| Online Access: | http://www.revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/idval/article/view/41646/pdf |
| Summary: | Adam Smith’s moral philosophy is grounded in the role of the imagination in explaining the social order at a macro level and as a mechanism for affective identification at the micro level. In both cases, the role of the imagination in our moral psychology refutes the homo economicus thesis according to which human beings are motivated to enter into society due to personal interests. This premise serves to refute the Hobbesian position of a historical state of nature that underlies the moral judgments grounding civil society and the need for a magistrate. |
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| ISSN: | 0120-0062 0120-0062 |