Adam Smith and the foundations of pluralism
| dc.contributor.author | Dow, Sheila Christine | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-06-16T21:39:16Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-06-16T21:39:16Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this essay is to explore Adam Smith’s work for ideas relevant to modern-day discourse on pluralism (understood as methodological pluralism). It is argued here that the emphasis on difference of perspective in his theory of human nature is potentially foundational for pluralism. I explore Smith’s philosophy of science, where his theory of human nature explains the motivation for building knowledge, the conduct of enquiry, and the appraisal of resulting theories. Finally, I explore exemplars of pluralist practice in Smith’s treatment of alternative approaches to economics to his own as well as in his account of different approaches to history and astronomy. | |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Faculty | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Dow, S. C. (2025). Adam Smith and the foundations of pluralism. Social Philosophy and Policy, 42(2), 314–329. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265052525100411 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265052525100411 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/23993 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Social Philosophy and Policy | |
| dc.rights | Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject | pluralism | |
| dc.subject | moral philosophy | |
| dc.subject | economic theory | |
| dc.subject | Adam Smith | |
| dc.subject | David Hume | |
| dc.subject.department | Department of Economics | |
| dc.title | Adam Smith and the foundations of pluralism | |
| dc.type | Article |