Date of Award
8-2023
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Philosophy
First Advisor
Dr. Eric Wilson
Second Advisor
Dr. Tim O'Keefe
Abstract
Adam Smith builds an account of moral judgment on our capacity for “fellow-feeling,” or sympathy. To view someone’s situation and adopt their sentiment is to sympathize with and thus approve of them. As the basis for approval, sympathy is also how we find the “tone of temper, and tenour of conduct, which constitutes the excellent and praise-worthy character.” In short, sympathy tells us how to be virtuous. On Smith’s view, however, animals are largely outside the scope of sympathy and virtue. In this thesis, I argue that Smith’s account of sympathy and virtue can accommodate animals. But while Smith’s account of sympathy and virtue can extend to animals, it's ultimately unsatisfactory given their current situation.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/35685811
Recommended Citation
Thompson, Phoenix, "Adam Smith, Virtue, and Sympathy for Animals." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2023.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/35685811
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