Ep. 45: Moral Sense Theory: Hume and Smith

Product Description

Discussing parts of David Hume's Treatise of Human Nature (1740) and Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759). We read the sections from the Treatise and from Smith in D.D. Raphael's collection British Moralists: 1650-1800 (Volume 2)

Where do we get our moral ideas? Hume and Smith both thought that we get them by reflecting on our own moral judgments and on how we and others (including imaginary, hypothesized others) in turn judge those judgments. Mark, Wes, Seth, and guest Getty Lustila, a phil grad student at Georgia State University, hash through the Scottish stoicism to lay out the differences between these two gents and whether their views constitute an actual moral theory or just a descriptive enterprise. Read more about the topic and selections.

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Running Time: 1 hr., 46 min. Recorded: September 25, 2011. Participants: Mark, Wes, Seth, Getty Lustila

As a bonus, your purchase includes a high-bitrate mp3 of the song that concludes the episode, “Honest Judge,” by New People from Impossible Things (2011).