Abstract

INDAVERA STIEBEN, Leandro Gastón. Errors in the argumentative strategy of the providentialist interpretation of the invisible hand of adam smith: the case of the theory of moral sentiments. discus.filos [online]. 2011, vol.12, n.19, pp.239-256. ISSN 0124-6127.

In general, those who support the providentialist interpretation of Adam Smith's invisible hand hold that those individuals lead by an invisible hand have certain qualities that are expected to reach certain beneficial ends for society. This would be, neither more nor less, the sense of the famous Smithean expression. In this paper, I will show, on the contrary, that in the invisible hand passage in The theory of moral sentiments those lead by an invisible hand do not have the qualities that are expected to reach the beneficial ends. So, the providentialist interpretation cannot explain how the qualities of the landlords (those lead by an invisible hand) can reach the beneficial ends (the distribution of the necessary goods for life).

Keywords : Interpretation; invisible hand; providentialist; theory of moral sentiments.

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