Download This Paper'A Moral Being is an Accountable Being': Adam Smith and the Ethical Foundations of Accountable Governance
68th Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, March 22-25, 2010, Palmer House Hotel, Chicago IL
20 Pages Posted: 6 May 2010 Last revised: 13 Jan 2015
Date Written: March 1, 2010
Abstract
In this paper I argue that among the "lost legacies" of Adam Smith's work was a perspective on human moralilty that warrants his consideration as the first modern theorist of accountable governance. I elaborate on my rationale for that claim after reviewing the particular writings in Smith’s principal work (in this case TMS rather than WN) which I believe establish his foundational role in such a theory and discussing the factors behind its “lost” status.
Keywords: Adam Smith, accountability, accountable governance, Theory of Moral Sentiments, Wealth of Nations
JEL Classification: B16, G38
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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