Famous for being the
author of The Wealth of Nations, Smith actually wrote and
lectured on a great deal more in his lifetime. His first book, The
Theory of Moral Sentiments, offers a moral psychology that acts as a
complement to his later economic theories. One of the bridges between
his works is his philosophy of education. Whereas Smith’s economics of
education and his own educational experiences have been the subject of
much attention, little work has been done to reconstruct his overall
educational theory. Smith made many comments regarding why and how
individuals learn, which institutions and curricula are most conducive
to education, and the nature and purpose of education for the
individual, for society, and for the state. Smith understood education
as a primary means by which people better their own condition, as the
necessary precondition for moral adjudication, as an important catalyst
for social unity, and as a pre-condition for the proper operation of the
market. For Smith, none of these purposes ought to be seen in isolation.
Their overlap illustrates the systematic nature of Smith’s corpus.
Dr. Jack Russell
Weinstein is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy
and Religion at University of North Dakota. He is the author of
On Adam
Smith (2001) and On MacIntyre (2003) in the
Wadsworth Philosophers Series. Last year he edited a
“Symposium on Adam Smith and Education” for The Adam Smith Review (No.
3, 2006).
The Philosophy for Children Colloquium Series
includes invited presentations from notable academics on issues related to education, philosophy and
Philosophy for Children. The Series also provides graduate students
and faculty an opportunity to present work-in-progress.
