Abstract

MUNOZ, Ángel Emilio. On The Feeling of Prudence or the Invisible Hand of Morals. Lect. Econ. [online]. 2006, n.65, pp.224-240. ISSN 0120-2596.

Smithian moral philosophy is based on an axiomatic principle: the individual' s necessary belonging to society and moral action as a determinant of individual wellbeing. The inherent social condition of the individual due to the impossibility of autonomous psychological and ontological survival, and the moral identification with one' s own happiness and that of others, achieved through direct or involuntary means, the empathy with the success or the pain of others. It is the prudent action that explains the civilian character of self-determination and self-control of decisions. For Smith, human beings are not only self-interested because they have a moral conscience and a socialized existence.

Keywords : Congeniality; Sympathy; Cooperative Game; Happiness; Hate; Moral Philosophy; Prudence, Selfishness.

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