Thought for the Day no 4
I came across this yesterday while checking citation references for a paper in proof. Buckle speaks of Smith’s Moral Sentiments and Wealth Of Nations:
‘No great truth which has once been discovered has ever afterwards been lost; nor has any important discovery yet been made which has not eventually carried everything before it’ (H. T. Buckle, 1867. History of Civilisation in England, 3 vos. vol 1. p 215).
Unfortunately, Buckle went on the miss-describe Smith’s concern with ‘sentiments’ in Moral Sentiments and self-interest in Wealth Of Nations, which started the hares among German Philosopher in the late-19th century, nowadays known as the so-called ‘Das Adam Smith problem’, which was neither Adam Smith's nor a problem.
This prompts me to re-cast Buckle’s sentence:
‘No great misunderstanding which once promulgated has ever afterwards been lost; nor has any trivial metaphor yet been popularised which has not eventually carried everything before it.’
‘No great truth which has once been discovered has ever afterwards been lost; nor has any important discovery yet been made which has not eventually carried everything before it’ (H. T. Buckle, 1867. History of Civilisation in England, 3 vos. vol 1. p 215).
Unfortunately, Buckle went on the miss-describe Smith’s concern with ‘sentiments’ in Moral Sentiments and self-interest in Wealth Of Nations, which started the hares among German Philosopher in the late-19th century, nowadays known as the so-called ‘Das Adam Smith problem’, which was neither Adam Smith's nor a problem.
This prompts me to re-cast Buckle’s sentence:
‘No great misunderstanding which once promulgated has ever afterwards been lost; nor has any trivial metaphor yet been popularised which has not eventually carried everything before it.’
Labels: Das Adam Smith Problem

1 Comments:
"Thought for the Day no 4"
For Business Growth:
"We all know that "CASH IS KING" .... so we must honour his "majesty" by ensuring we convert our sales/debtors to cash as quickly as possible"
For Personal Growth:
"People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges"
Post a Comment
<< Home