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ADAM SMITH ON JUSTICE AND THE NEEDS OF THE POOR

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2012

JOHN SALTER
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Abstract

The paper critically discusses some recent contributions to the literature that argue that Smith incorporated the needs of the poor within his account of justice. Three specific claims are examined and rejected: that Smith blurred the traditional distinction between perfect and imperfect rights; that he endorsed the doctrine of the right of necessity; and that he maintained that all people have a natural right to subsistence.

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Articles
Information
Journal of the History of Economic Thought , Volume 34 , Issue 4 , December 2012 , pp. 559 - 575
Copyright
Copyright © The History of Economics Society 2012

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References

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