A Sentimentalist Deontology? Smith on Normative Ethics

Abstract

On the assumption that Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments aims to defend some normative perspective, it is asked how best such a perspective can be characterized. After rejecting possible consequentialist interpretations, and showing the limits of virtue-ethical ones, reasons are offered in favor of interpreting Smith's account as a peculiar form of deontology: in particular, the impartial spectator's insistence on natural equality, the priority of justice over beneficence, and the central role played by the general rules. Moreover, it is noted that Smith's account bears some analogies with prominent ancestors of contemporary deontology, such as the natural lawyers and the rational intuitionists, although rejecting their metaethical rationalism. It is suggested that a sentimentalist deontology is a theoretical option that may deserve exploration.