Argument reassesses Adam Smith's moral critique of colonization, highlighting European ambitions and native injuries.
Smith's long chapter of The Wealth of Nations devoted to colonies has given rise to conflicting interpretations, owing to its interweaving of moral and consequentialist (or economic) approaches to modern empires. While Smith is sometimes criticized for assigning moral considerations only an ancillary role, we argue, on the contrary, that these considerations reinforce his economic critique of European colonial expansion. We show that the chapter on colonies mobilizes a rhetoric aimed at eliciting the reader's disapproval by emphasizing the dubious character of European colonial ambitions, the role of fortune in European gains, and the severe injuries inflicted on native populations. By linking his analysis of colonization to his discourse on demerit, resentment, and injury, we stress that his concern for overseas populations is fully consistent with his moral and jurisprudential framework. By attributing to colonists all the traits of blameworthy conduct, Smith seeks to awaken the sympathy of his readers for the resentment felt by native populations, which, in turn, raises broader questions of Western collective remorse and potential reparations.
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Bréban et al. (2026) studied this question.
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