Adam Smith's 1759 Rebuke of the Slave Trade
10 Pages Posted: 20 Feb 2019 Last revised: 19 Aug 2019
Date Written: February 19, 2019
Abstract
Smith’s two-sentence rebuke of the slave trade was quoted in full four times in early anti-slavery literature. It helps us make sense of Part V of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and understand Smith’s posture toward slavery. Also, it might inform our understanding of the relationship between Smith’s two great works.
Keywords: slavery, slave trade, Adam Smith, Thomas Clarkson, abolitionism, William Wilberforce
JEL Classification: B12; N3
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Klein, Daniel B., Adam Smith's 1759 Rebuke of the Slave Trade (February 19, 2019). GMU Working Paper in Economics No. 19-06
The Indepdendent Review, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3337961 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3337961
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