The Case of the Centinel: Utility and Merit in Adam Smith's Theory of Justice

Abstract

Within the framework of moral sentimentalism, Adam Smith develops a conception of justice that combines the retributive justice of his predecessor, Joseph Butler, with the proto-utilitarian elements of his contemporary, David Hume. Smith blends these two traditions through a compound judgment in which he articulates the resentment caused by the harm done by an equal with the social utility of punishment. By identifying the various components that are coordinated in Smith’s judgment of justice (resentment, utility, spontaneous affective reaction, judgment of the impartial spectator), the richness and nuance of Smith’s moral psychology are verified. This allows us to explain, without contradiction, the case that simpler psychologies cannot justify: the centinel condemned for falling asleep on duty.