Adam Smith on Public Reason and the Origin of Civility

• In Event: Examining the Moral Imperatives of English and Italian Liberalism

Brief Overview

Elaborating on Adam Smith's theory of propriety and socialization, I argue that civility has to be neither the prerequisite for public reason nor an impediment to pluralism and toleration. Rather, it can and should be achieved through public reason.

Author

• Antong Liu, Duke University