“The poor man’s son” and Adam Smith’s theory of beauty

Abstract

The article's novelty is its focus on the role of Smith’s theory of beauty and its implications for utility in the narrative of ‘The Poor Man’s Son’.  From this point of view, the narrative contains Smith’s criticism of the misguided view of the beauty of utility and affirmation of harmonious systems. Adam Smith’s narrative of ‘The Poor Man’s Son’ in his book The Theory of Moral Sentiments [1759] has received significant attention from scholars. Recently, three modes of interpretation can be distinguished. The first group follows a mode of interpretation from the world of the text, which is literal and regards the narrative as Smith’s support of beneficence. The narrative is perceived as Smith’s criticism of commerce and consumerism in pursuing happiness. Secondly, reading from the world behind the text, others pay more attention to historical and material aspects and argue that the narrative warns against misplaced ambition and affirms the virtue of commerce. Thirdly, when reading from the world in front of the text, the reception of the text is focal, and the emphasis shifts to the tension between beneficence and commercial prowess in Smith's work. The problem with all three interpretations is that the nature of beauty, utility and commerce is not explored. In this article, a discourse analysis of the narrative in its wider context reveals an alternative interpretation based on Smith’s theory of beauty that has important implications for contemporary digital technology and systems.

https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.90.1.2594