The Practical Morality of Life - by Caroline Breashears (Hardcover)

About the Book

How a scandalous actress influenced one of the greatest philosophers of the eighteenth century.

Book Synopsis

The economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith was committed to 'a practical system of Morality'. George Anne Bellamy was a well-known actress of the eighteenth century, who published a best-selling memoir. Coming from completely different backgrounds, they both keenly observed their world--human nature, morality and exchange.

Reading Smith's final edition of The Theory of Moral Sentiments in relation to the Apology of George Anne Bellamy illuminates many of Smith's final revisions, in particular the impartial spectator, the temptations of ambition, the character of virtue and female education. Considering her book in relation to Smith deepens our understanding of her narrative strategies and the history of an early theatre near Glasgow. The book opens a vital window into the socio-historical context of Smith's and broader enlightenment philosophies.

Review Quotes

Adam Smith owned and read the 1785 edition of Bellamy's Apology. Did Bellamy's remarkable work influence Smith's remarkable 1790 additions to The Theory of Moral Sentiments? Yes, argues this persuasive book. Smith's additions enhance his criticism of Stoicism, expand on how lively sensibility is vital to moral improvement, expand on veracity, and explore vanity. Breashears enters deeply into Smith's encounter with Bellamy and enriches our appreciation of what Smith wrote in the final years of his life.--Daniel Klein, George Mason University

Some have noted Smith's oddly pervasive metaphor of the stage, and all the men and women merely players, and spectators, too. Caroline Breashears's brilliant book turns a spotlight upon why. Smith founded a "humanomics," an economics with human life and literature left in. Breashears has found his muse.--Deirdre McCloskey, University of Illinois at Chicago