Toland and Adam Smith’s Posthumous Work

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Published: Jun 25, 2014
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13153/diam.40.2014.632
Keywords:
Adam Smith, John Toland, John Hutton, Spinozism, Extinction

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Eric Schliesser
Philosophy and Moral Sciences Ghent University

Abstract

In this paper I offer a speculative answer to the question why Adam Smith, who burned nearly all of his papers, arranged for posthumous publication for a number of his essays. I rely on a number of hints in those essays and put them in the context of eighteenth century natural philosophy. I argue that those hints trace back to John Toland and Spinozism.

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How to Cite
“Toland and Adam Smith’s Posthumous Work”. 2014. Diametros, no. 40 (June): 115-25. https://doi.org/10.13153/diam.40.2014.632.
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No. 40 (2014)
Section
Special Topic - The Radicalism of the Enlightenment

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Author Biography

Eric Schliesser, Philosophy and Moral Sciences Ghent University

Eric Schliesser
BOF Research Professor
Philosophy and Moral Sciences
Ghent University
Blandijnberg 2, Ghent, B-9000
Belgium

Email: nescio2@yahoo.com

How to Cite

“Toland and Adam Smith’s Posthumous Work”. 2014. Diametros, no. 40 (June): 115-25. https://doi.org/10.13153/diam.40.2014.632.
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