Smith's universalism is not draconian or one-size-fits-all; what the universal impartial spectator deems proper depends heavily on context, tradition, constraints, and scarcities—exemplified by his strong condemnation of infanticide that nonetheless allows it pardonable when a fleeing parent could not save both themselves and the child—and because what is fit and just is 'loose, vague, and indeterminate,' it must be examined carefully, which opens the door to self-deception.

definitionpending

Speaker

Dan Klein

Evidence Quote

the universalism doesn't mean some kind of simple, you know, draconian yeah, you know, one size fits all. It's kind of like, you know, this constantly ex- you know, developed and and and and explored thing.

Source

Dan Klein on The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Episode 4--A Discussion of Part III 04/29/2009EconTalk
Created: 6/15/2026, 9:36:51 AM

My Notes

Loading notes...