The Practical Morality of Life : Adam Smith, George Anne Bellamy, and the Theatre

How a scandalous actress influenced one of the greatest philosophers of the eighteenth century.

The economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith was committed to ‘a practical system of Morality’. George Anne Bellamy was a well-known actress of the eighteenth century, who published a best-selling memoir. Coming from completely different backgrounds, they both keenly observed their world—human nature, morality and exchange. Reading Smith’s final edition of The Theory of Moral Sentiments in relation to the Apology of George Anne Bellamy illuminates many of Smith’s final revisions, in particular the impartial spectator, the temptations of ambition, the character of virtue and female education. Considering her book in relation to Smith deepens our understanding of her narrative strategies and the history of an early theatre near Glasgow. The book opens a vital window into the socio-historical context of Smith’s and broader enlightenment philosophies.