Klein interprets Smith's impartial spectator as ultimately a near-universal being emanating universalist wisdom—a single sun around which all orbit—while each individual possesses only their own imperfect internal representative ('man in the breast'); this generates infinite recursion, where any judge one creates can itself be judged by a deeper judge, all originating from oneself, opening the door to self-deception when one's created judge is not truly impartial.

definitionpending

Speaker

Dan Klein

Evidence Quote

the impartial spectator I think in Smith is ultimately almost like a sun a single sun around which we all orbit and each of us as a being kind of creates continually creates these layered judges

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

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