Jane Austens country house novels display a vivid picture of human nature grounded in the classical liberal thought found in Adam Smiths Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759). Not only do their characters teach us about the virtues we should practice and the vices we should avoid in order to lead fulfilling lives, but their story lines give us a glimpse into the types of economic arrangements that recognize the dignity of all and further promote human flourishing.
Human Nature and Civil Society in Jane Austen
By Michelle Albert Vachris, Cecil E. Bohanon
This
article
appeared in
the Winter 2020/21 issue of The Independent Review.
Other Independent Review articles by Michelle Albert Vachris | |
Winter 2020/21 | Philanthropic Exchange in Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man |
Winter 2018/19 | Dynamism as a Bump on the Road to Crony Capitalism? |
Other Independent Review articles by Cecil E. Bohanon | ||
Summer 2022 | Minds Wide Shut: How the New Fundamentalisms Divide Us | |
Winter 2021/22 | Steven G. Horwitz: A Tribute | |
Winter 2020/21 | Philanthropic Exchange in Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man | |
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