Sophie de Grouchy's Letters on Sympathy: A Critical Engagement with Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments

by Marie Louise Sophie de Grouchy de Condorcet, Sandrine Bergès (Translation), Eric Schliesser (Translation)

Adam Smith, in his The Theory of Moral Sentiments, largely left his readers to develop his argument's full implications. Many philosophers famously did so, including Mary Wollstonecraft, Thomas Paine, and John Millar, among others, but less known are Sophie de Grouchy's own contributions, presented here alone in translation. Grouchy (1764-1822) published her Letters on Sympathy in 1798 together with her French translation of The Theory of Moral Sentiments. While Grouchy's Letters mainly engage critically with Smith's philosophical analysis of sympathy, they offer valuable perspectives and original thoughts about the relationship of emotional and moral development to legal, economic, and political reform. In particular, Grouchy sought to understand how the mechanisms of sympathy could help the development of new social and political institutions after the revolution. Her Letters further contain profound reflections on the dangers of demagoguery, the nature of tragedy, and the roles of love and friendship.

Though ostensibly a commentary on Smith, the Letters stand in their own right as significant and original contributions to political philosophy. This new translation by Sandrine Berg�s of a text by a forgotten female philosopher illuminates new inroads to Enlightenment and feminist thought and reveals insights that were far ahead of their time. The volume includes a critical introduction, explanatory notes, and a glossary of terms to provide critical and historical analysis for the novice reader.

Genres: Philosophy

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 1997

About the author

Marie-Louise-Sophie de Grouchy (7 ou 8 avril 1763 ou 1764 - 6 septembre 1822), marquise de Condorcet par son mariage, est une femme de lettres française.

Marie-Louise-Sophie de Grouchy (7 or 8 april 1763 or 1764 - 6 september 1822), Marquise de Condorcet by her marriage, is a French woman of letters.

Reviews

[Aafke · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Napoleon came to power, he is reported to have told Sophie de Grouchy that he did not like women who talked about politics. She replied, echoing a famous argument by Olympe de Gouges: 'I agree with you, but in a country where they might lose their heads, it is natural that women should want to know why.'
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Personal sympathy - that which creates between men the intimate ties necessary for their perfection and happiness, which brings hearts together and binds them with sweet affection.
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Humanity and equality - sentiments that are as necessary to the moral happiness of each individual as they are to the preservation of justice and security in all aspects of the social order!

[Charlotte de Lange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vrouwen worden objecten bij mannen die geen sympathie hebben en het huwelijk is een handelscontract
She slayed

[✨ m e g a n ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 / 5 stars

Read for one of my university courses this semester. This feels like ethics that I can actually read and understand

[Kim Visser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best leuk voor een tekst van geschiedenis

[Karina Montalvo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una critica filosófica a varios trabajos, especialmente al de Smith. Una reflexión en torno a las emociones y la ética de estas. Libro obligado en la filosofía, a mí parecer..