Question

1 in wealthh of nations what does smith see as the role of government
2 in the theory of moral sentiments what does smith see as a problem between government and society
3 what is the role of government according to john locke

Answer 1

1) Adam Smith — The Wealth of Nations (role of government)
- Smith argued for a limited but active government whose main duties are:
- Defense: protect society from foreign invasion.
- Administration of justice: protect individuals from injustice and violence (courts, police, rule of law).
- Public works and institutions: provide certain “public goods” and infrastructure that private enterprise will not supply profitably (roads, canals, some education and institutions).
- He opposed mercantilist interventionism and monopolies, favored free markets and competition, but accepted government action where markets could not deliver important public benefits or where private interests distorted competition.

2) Adam Smith — The Theory of Moral Sentiments (problem between government and society)
- TMS centers on sympathy, the “impartial spectator,” and how moral norms arise from mutual sympathy. Smith sees a key problem when government and those who govern become detached from the ordinary moral sympathies of society:
- Officials may act from self‑interest, seek privileges, or create monopolies, which corrodes public trust and the moral fabric of society.
- Governmental power can easily violate justice (the most binding of moral rules in Smith’s view) and so destroy mutual sympathy if it treats people unfairly.
- In short: the problem is that government, by virtue of coercive power and distance from everyday social checks, can become a source of injustice and corruption that undermines the moral sentiments that hold society together.

3) John Locke — role of government
- For Locke (Second Treatise of Government) the fundamental role of government is to secure natural rights: life, liberty, and property.
- Key elements:
- Government is created by the consent of the governed (social contract).
- Its legitimate functions are to make impartial laws, adjudicate disputes, and enforce those laws to protect people’s rights.
- Power must be limited and accountable; when a government fails to protect rights or becomes tyrannical, people retain the right to revolt and replace it.