Announcement XIV

Returned to Edinburgh and somewhat jet lagged, plus in new home with everything in removal boxes.

First task: empty boxes and distribute contents appropriately round new house;

Second task: connect new Apple computer;

Third task: household chores;

Fourth task: sleep.

Shall be active on Wednesday on Lost Legacy.

Gavin

Announcement XIII

My sunny Australian 'holiday' comes to a close. I'm on my way back to Scotland tomorrow (Sunday) and to our new Edinburgh home - and scores of boxes to empty and other chores assigned for my personal attention.

At present, I am told, the Internet connection isn't and it may be some days before it is, even with my new Apple computer awaiting a link up. My return to Apple after 35 years may not run smoothly, but it will run eventually, I am assured. Thank goodness I can escape from Windows 7.

While away, I have been editing the new paperback edition of "Adam Smith: a moral philosopher and his political economy" for Palgrave. It's going well, though slowly.

Treating my paper: The Hidden Adam Smith in his Alleged Theology, as part 1 on his drift from Christianity, I am also now working on part 2: on his alleged Deist and Providential views.

So it will be back to normal at Lost Legacy - soon.

Announcement XII

I have been unable to post since Sunday due to a sudden heavy cold/cough episode, which tied me close to my bed until today (Wednesday).

This has knocked my schedule out completely, as a) we get entry to our new house Thursday (Tomorrow) and there is much to do arranging the administration of the first part of our move; b) I am flying to Australia on Saturday and there is also ultra much to do; c) my intended academic work intruded upon. I was meant to be finishing a couple of papers (one: my response to the brilliant new paper by Daniel Klein and Brandon Lucas, which I wanted them to have before I went to Australia; two: my re-drafted paper on "The Hidden Adam Smith in his Alleged Theology", which I shall send off this evening.

Apologies, but this has squeezed out Lost Legacy. Those who know me will know how difficult it has been to focus on the main, delayed, tasks.

I shall be in Australia until 22 Feb (not a good domestic move, two days after we move in!).

I shall post before I go (and during my visit).

Gavin

Announcement XI

I have been out of aciton since Monday with a bug. Now recovered, I think.

Gavin

Announcement X

I saw two comments, one from Entech and one from Nick Gruen, which 'disappeared' and I would apreciate if they were reposted either on the Blog or via my email (gavin At negweb doT com).

The reaons for these losses are obscure.

Gavin

Announcement IX

I am still having difficulty with posting legitmate comments on Lost Legacy. I click Publish, then they disappear, as appened to 'Entech' yesterday.

Therefore, may I ask readers, if their comments does not appear within 24 hours (it's probably 'lost', to repost it or send it direct to me (gavin At negweb dOT com).

I am asking my IT expert (my daughter) to examine what happens - what, perhaps I am doing wrong - and, after the present winter weather, alter my (mis)behaviour.

Lost Legacy values it readers comments - good or hostile. Please keep sending them int.

Gavin

Announcement IX

First and second of three moves completed.

From now to end of January, when we prepare for our third move in February into our new home, I have time for my passion of Adam Smith’s Lost Legacy and related subjects.

On that agenda are these three main projects:

1 A considered response (Draft title: “The Unimportance of Muddle”) to the brilliant detective work of Dan Klein and Brandon Lucas in their most welcome paper, “In an Word or Two, Placed in the Middle: The Invisible Hand in Smith’s Tomes” – already underway.

2 A review and discussion of Milgate and Stimson’s “After Adam Smith: a century of transformation in Politics and Political Economy” (Princeton University Press). I shall tackle this book a chapter at a time, with the first chapter posted here before Christmas Day.

3 A new paper on the (provisional title) “The Modern Myths Among Modern Economists of the Invisible Hand From the 1930s” which I hope to present (if accepted, of course) at the Summer School for the Preservation of the History of Economics Thought at University of Richmond, VA, June, 2010.

Plus, of course, the resumption normal daily service of the Lost Legacy Blog.

Meanwhile, I am grading 103 post-graduate examination papers for my old day job (I have complete the first 31).

Gavin

Announcement VIII

By separate post I received a suggestion from someone who signed off as “a very interested reader”:

“Could you please consider putting an FAQ page that summarizes your main views about Adam Smith's ideas and the common myths that you want to dispel?”

I asked what did he/she mean – perhaps an example?:

He/she has suggested the following:

“FAQ:

- What did Adam Smith mean by the invisible hand?

- What are common misconceptions, misinterpretations or misuses of that phrase? of his ideas in general?

- What are common criticisms toward your views on Adam Smith? What are your rebuttals to those criticisms?”

Comment
I have discussed the technical details of having a separate page on Lost Legacy for an FAQ feature and it is possible, as long as I don’t want it done before New Year.

However, it can be done from when I return from a visit to Australia (February 2010) and I have arranged for the FAQ feature to be added to Lost Legacy at that time.

Meanwhile, over the seasonal holidays I shall try out some FAQ-type posts on the main Blog addressing questions like those above. From my experience of FAQs at my old Business-School day job, over time the FAQs add up to a lengthy text (longer than the course text itself). Perhaps I can make entry-level text out of this venture?

Gavin

PS: thanks to the unknown "very interested reader" who made the contructive suggestion this month.

Announcement VI

It looks like there will be a paperback edition of my Adam Smith: a moral philosopher and his political economy (2008, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, UK and New York, USA).

As soon as we are settled in our new home in Edinburgh in February (fortuitously the lawyer reported today that the missives are exchanged on the sale: a "bargain is concluded", as we say in Scotland) and I am clear of my current and pending projects (of which my response to Daniel Klein's detective work is paramount, followed by the full length book review of the impressive Milgate and Stimson's After Adam Smith: a century of transformation in politics and political economy), Princeton University press) I shall commence work on preparing the paperback edition, taking the opportunity, by invitation of the publisher's editor, to revise and reduce the length of some chapters.

I shall keep readers informed.

Announcement V

Five Topics

1 First of three moves today (Move 1): Transferring basics and temporary office to my daughter's today and tomorrow (may work on-line between old home and my daughter's for a week or two). Hence, very busy with 1st move boxes and some furniture.

2 From the above event there may well be interruptions to Lost Legacy - please have patience.

Move 2 is when our old house is cleared into temporary storage on 14December (old house changes hands on 18 December).

Move 3 is from our temporary abode with my daughter (her second baby due - imminent this week!) of our furniture and my library from the storage people on 4 February to our new house, a couple of miles away.

3 The need to moderate comments continues - the Chinese spammers continue to make 'comments' (about what I do not know) in Chinese - but the Moderator system on Blogger is 'suspect'. I post to publish and they disappear!

Please could potential commentators post their comments via the email address at the top of the home page?

4 Work proceeds slowly on the 'metaphor in the middle' riddle but it is proceeding very slowly. This is most frustrating.

5 My review/discussion of Murray Wilgate and Shannon C. Stimson, After Adam Smith: a century of transformation in politics and political economy, 2009, Princeton University Press, is held up until at least 14 December, for which my deeply-felt apologies. It is worthy of notice by all Smithian scholars.

Thank you

Gavin

Announcement IV

I took a short break yesterday either side of lunch and posted on Lost Legacy.

However, the spam comments attack continues - 17 since Saturday - all in Chinese and the bits in English are weird.

Those few appropriate comments were published - the rest were rejected.

I have snatched moments to continue reading and I am making slow progress in my response to Daniel Klein's paper. I think I can now track what Adam Smith did in his various editions to maintain 'centrality' of the metaphor of "an invisible hand".
However, with about 1/3rd of my books despoatached to local charity shops, I have a long way to go to clear the house in a couple of weeks.

Keep reading.

Gavin

Announcement 3

I have a couple of pressing projects on the go:

1 Daniel Klein and Brandon Lucas's "In a Word or Two, Placed in the Middle" (October 2009), which is their most interesting paper on the significance of the "metaphor" of the "invisible hand" for Adam Smith (from an idea of Thucydides).

This is underway and I was estimating a response in a week or so.

2 A review of Murray Milgate and Shannon C. Stimson's "After Adam Smith: a century of transformation in politics and political economy", 2009, Princeton University Press, was to appear in chapter instlaments from this week.

However, we have had our house (downsizing after the children left the nest for their own homes) on the market since November 2008 (the month when the UK property market finally went into free-fall).

The market has picked up and we accepted a (negotiated) offer for our house. The purchasers required an early entry date ("before Christmas") and we agreed today to this condition, previously expecting a leisurely transfer in February 2010. This gives us about four weeks to dismantle the house contents down to sufficient for two persons instead of five. Plus move my library. And look around the market for a suitable new, smaller, house in south Edinburgh.

The immediate consequence is that I am going to be very busy domestically for several weeks emptying one house, moving some of our property into a daughter's house until we settle on a new house, placing most of our property into storage, ready for the new house, and sending some of the surplsu to our French house.

Scholarly-wise, this is most "inconvenient", while domestically it is a great relief, believe me.

I shall do what I can, when I can, on the above two projects, but slower than I had anticipated. Be sure, however, that the two projects will be completed and posted on Lost Legacy.

I regard Daniel Klein and Brandon Lucas's "In a Word or Two, Placed in the Middle" (October 2009), as the most important paper on the invisible hand for many a year and it requires a considered response. In my teens we called this a "put up or shut up" moment. I hope you will bear with me over the next few weeks as I prepare my "put up" response, or, if the case merits it, my "shut up" resignation.

My review of Milgate and Stimson, similarly, will plod a long somewhat slower but it will appear - that's a promise.

Thank you

Gavin

Announcement - temporary no connection from 11am UK time

I am travelling back to Edinburgh from France today (Saturday) and will reconnect, all being well, later this evening.

It looks like an interesting debate is commencing between myself and Bruce on the geo-historical formation and evolution of property (see my post on the ideas of Bruce for Thursday and follow the links to Bruce's website).

Announcement - connected

Connected 09.45pm French time.

Shall post Sunday.

Gavin

Announcement: Connection Interrupted

I shall of off-line until I re-establish connection in France.

This short break is to arrange the property for the winter.

Always mindful that Adam Smith visited France (Toulouse, Bordeaux, and Paris) 1764-66, I also have parts of my library there.

I hope to re-connect later today.

Gavin

Comments Moderation Stays ON

A series of attacks on Lost Legacy from foreign repetitive language trolls and mischief-makers forced me to introduce the Blogger feature of Comments Moderation.

These have continued intermittently since (the latest, a couple of hours ago). I am therefore compelled to leave Comment Moderation on.

Apologies.

As I tend to visit Lost Legacy regularly when I am in the house (and when connected abroad), there should not be a long delay for genuine readers wishing to make a point or two. Though, I notice the number of comments from readers has dropped away. This too is disappointing and I hope it is soon reversed.

Let me have your views.

Gavin

Diary Announcement

I am visiting Aberdeen University Friday for a seminar on Scottish intellectual history under the auspices of the Scottish Philosophy Group, which covers academics from Glasgow, Edinburgh,St Andrews and Aberdeen universities, plus retired persons like me.

Leaving Edinburgh and 8.29 and returning about 12 hours later, so posts will be slim today - depending on how much awaits me on my return.

Comment moderation remains ON. It is blocking sustained 'attacks' from nuisance posters, so apologies. I check regularly during the day (except today in Aberdeen) but will read everything later this evening and process responsible comments immediately.

Just for the record, post I disagree with but on the subject appropriate to Lost Legacy will always be published.