Of the influence and authority of the general rules of morality, and that they are justly regarded as the laws of the deity

Vernon L. Smith ()
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Vernon L. Smith: Chapman University

Chapter Chapter 28 in Adam Smith’s Theory of Society, 2025, pp 285-298 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract There are surely those who are naturally insensitive to a feelingFeeling of gratitude toward those who have happily benefitted them, but, aware of the duties normally attending to the reward of such action, proceed to follow those rules out of a regard for doing one’s duty. Hence, more people may obey the rules than do it out of any gratitude personally felt. As is his wont, Smith is concerned to examine all those exceptions to his model of beneficent action based on gratitude in which beneficent action is normally rewarded out of a “debt of gratitudeGratitudedebt of.” Actions are in rule space, contain information that we access through others, and thus obviate the need to download all its particulars.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-68494-4_28

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