Glenn Diesen - Greater Eurasia Podcast Daniel Klein: Adam Smith's Civilizationalist Conservative-Liberal Universalism
Dec 27, 2025
Daniel Klein, a Professor of Economics at George Mason University and head of the Adam Smith Program, explores Adam Smith's complex ideas on liberalism and conservatism. He discusses the impartial spectator concept and how Smith balanced universal moral viewpoints with specific cultural contexts. Klein highlights Smith's critiques of colonialism and slavery, and argues for the necessity of stable political structures to support liberal policies. The conversation also delves into the tensions within liberalism, particularly regarding immigration and the role of government in managing wealth concentration.
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Conservatism Tempering Liberal Presumptions
- Smith couples liberal presumption with a conservative regard for existing norms, traditions and stable polity.
- He warns that liberal reform should respect character and social cohesion to preserve functioning political order.
Anti-Imperial Critique Of Trade-Government Fusion
- Smith criticized colonialism and the East India Company for mixing trading motives with sovereign rule.
- He recommended ending charters and relinquishing colonial control where feasible.
Letting Colonies Go As A Practical Good
- Smith argued Britain should consider relinquishing control over its American colonies rather than coercing them.
- He viewed granting independence as politically wise despite rulers' reluctance to yield power.