Adam Smith, Liberty, and Responsibility: East and West

reading list chuang tzu confucius mencius laozi

Smith paired with Daoist and Confucian philosophy

READING LIST


Session I: Smith on Markets

·      Smith, Adam. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Volume I. Edited by R. H. Campbell and A. S. Skinner. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, Inc., 1982.  I.i-iii; I.viii.1-22, 36-43; I.x.c.1-45; and III.i, iv.1-20.  Page(s): 13-36, 82-87, 96-99, 135-152, 376-380, and 411-425.


Session II: Smith on Propriety and Self-Command

·      Smith, Adam. The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Indianapolis: LibertyClassics, 1969, 1976. I.i.1-4, I.iii.1-3, IV.1-2, and VI.iii.  Page(s): 9-23, 43-66, 171-193, and 237-262.


Session III: Smith on Justice

·      Smith, Adam. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Volume II. Edited by R. H. Campbell and A. S. Skinner. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, Inc., 1982.  V.i.b.  Page(s): 708-723.

·      Smith, Adam. The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Indianapolis: LibertyClassics, 1969, 1976. II.ii.1-3 and VI.ii.1-3.  Page(s): 78-91 and 218-237.


Session IV: Daoist Views of a Free Market

·      Laozi. Daodejing. Translated by D. C. Lau. New York and London: Penguin Books, 1963.  Chapters 15, 17, 19, 21, 29-31, 53, 57-59, 60, 69, 71, and 75. 

·      Chuang Tzu. Wandering on the Way: Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu. Translated by Victor H. Mair. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 1994.  Chapters 3, 4:12, 7:2, 8:2, 9:1, 17:13, 18:6, 26:6, and 33.2. 

·      Dorn, James A. “The Tao of Adam Smith.” The Cato Institute. http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/tao-adam-smith (November 15, 2013).
 http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/tao-adam-smith


Session V: Confucian Views of Private Property and Market

·      Confucius. The Analects. Translated by D. C. Lau. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press, 1992.  XII, XIII.  Page(s): 108-131.

·      Mencius. Mencius. Edited by D. C. Lau. New York and London: Penguin Classics, 1970, 2003.  Book I, Part A and Book III, Part A.  Page(s): 3-14, 52-63.

·      Xunzi. Xunzi. Translated by John Knoblock and Zhang Jue. Changsha, Hunan: Hunan People’s Publishing House, 1999.  Volume 1, Chapter 10.  Page(s): 262-313.


Session VI: Confucian Views of Fairness and Justice

·      Confucius. The Analects. Translated by D. C. Lau. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press, 1992.  XVI.  Page(s): 160-169.

·      Mencius. Mencius. Edited by D. C. Lau. New York and London: Penguin Classics, 1970, 2003.  Book III, Part B.  Page(s): 64-75.

·      Xunzi. Xunzi. Translated by John Knoblock and Zhang Jue. Changsha, Hunan: Hunan People’s Publishing House, 1999.  Volume 1, Chapter 9; and Volume 2, Chapter 16.  Page(s): 208-261 and 500-531.