Moral education as a means to human perfection and social order: Adam Smith's view of education in commercial society

During the post-Second World War period, Adam Smith's moral theory was down -played and he acquired the undeserved reputation of an amoral, radical ind ividualist. The trend in recent scholarship has been to rehabilitate him as a moral theorist and this article continues that trend. After a sketch of Smith's moral theory, the article addresses his little-studied views on mor al education. This education is important in the creation of human excellen ce and social stability. Smith offers a series of recommendations about the moral education of the young. For him, liberal society needs moral educati on: some of it is to be provided privately and some is to be provided by th e public.