The Limits of Sympathetic Concern and Moral Consideration in Adam Smith

Abstract

Adam Smith thinks it possible to sympathize with certain nonsentient beings, such as the human dead. Consequently, some commentators argue that Smith’s theory supports ecocentrism. I reject that Smith’s theory has this implication. Sympathizers in Smith’s theory can imagine themselves as nonsentient beings, but they will lack the relevant evaluative concerns. The situation of a nonsentient being, as that being confronts the situation, remains inaccessible to the sympathizer. I will also address the limits of sympathetic concern within Smith’s theory, highlight a related problem about how our efforts to sympathize with others should be constrained, and suggest a solution.