'Real and positive hurt' : an examination of justice in the writings of Adam Smith

Abstract

In this thesis, I examine the notion of justice in the writings of Adam Smith. I argue that Smith's conception of justice is broader than the commutative conception of justice. The commutative concept of justice is linked to a liberal account of the state. It limits justice to the state’s duty to protect individual rights, most notably the protection of the individual from harm, her enjoyment of private property and the enforcement of contracts. I argue that, given Smith's own account of human nature, he would have to espouse a version of justice that protects the conditions under which the individual ability to make substantive judgements is developed.