Q0420
“How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles…” — Adam Smith (The Theory of Moral Sentiments)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Theme: human nature.
English
How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature which interest him in the fortune of others.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Theory of Moral Sentiments and files it under Scottish Enlightenment. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Adam Smith
Adam Smith (1723–1790) was a Scottish moral philosopher and political economist of the Enlightenment, professor at Glasgow and friend of Hume. The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) precedes The Wealth of Nations (1776), which analyzes markets, division of labor, and commercial society.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Aristotle and Blaise Pascal), human nature is framed through Peripatetic School and Christian Existential Precursor. Some passages define human nature; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through human nature, morality.
Concepts in this quote
- Human Nature
- Human Nature appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat human nature as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Morality
- Morality in philosophy concerns right and wrong, obligation, and the standards by which we judge persons and acts.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Adam Smith. (n.d.). How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature which interest him in the fortune of others. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0420
MLA: Adam Smith. “How selfish soever man may be supposed, there….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0420.
Chicago: Adam Smith. “How selfish soever man may be supposed, there….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0420.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “How selfish soever man may be supposed, there…”?
The passage is attributed to Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments. The archive attributes this English wording to The Theory of Moral Sentiments and files it under Scottish Enlightenment. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Adam Smith mean by human nature?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Aristotle and Blaise Pascal), human nature is framed through Peripatetic School and Christian Existential Precursor. Some passages define human nature; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through human nature, morality.