"What did the other Scottish philosophers have to say concerning alienation? What did Hume have to say on the subject?
BTW can you give some references as to where Smith describes the possibility of communism?" Jim, thank you very much for your questions. I am not sure whether I can and shall answer them at once. This would probabiliy lead to an article. Please allow me first to change the subject line. My answer to your first question is going to be short as there is secondary literature. Let me start with Francis Hutcheson. One of the central categories of the classical Scottish philosophy is labour/division of labour In his *A System of Moral Philosophysys* he crises the individualistic/private property justifying approach to the concept of labour as has been formulated by Locke and later worked out by Hume. According to Hutcheson labour should not be seen as an physical realtion. Today Hutcheson's appraoch may be read as a critique of Hanna Arendt. This approach of Hutcheson provided the basis for further explorations as may be seen in Ferguson's, Smith's and Millar's approach to the division of labour and the distinction of *ranks* (classes). It less obvious in Hume's appraoch as he explicitly defends the Lockean property theory. But unlike Locke he approaches the issue from historical perspective and allows therefore to draw different conclusions than he is prepared to do. Dogan Göcmen (http://dogangocmen.wordpress.com/) Author of The Adam Smith Problem: Reconciling Human Nature and Society in The Theory of Moral Sentiments and Wealth of Nations, I. B. Tauris, London&New York 2007 ________________________________________________ YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
