‘The Theory of Moral Sentiments’ — en bra bok?

När Adam Smith publicerade The Theory of Moral Sentiments så levde han relativt isolerad i Skottland. Således hade han inget begrepp om hur hans bok togs emot av den bildade allmänheten, allra minst hur den togs emot i London. Men i London befann sig David Hume, och han tog sig för att i ett brev rapportera till sin vän. Hume inleder sitt brev med att försiktigt påminna Adam Smith om att alla stora filosofer faktiskt har ansett att den allmänna opinionen är värdelös som mätare av ett verks utsökthet. Varpå han rapporterar följande:

Supposing, therefore, that you have duely prepard yourself for the worst by all these Reflections; I proceed to tell you the melancholy News, that your Book has been very unfortunate: For the Public seem disposed to applaud it extremely. It was looked for by the foolish People with some Impatience; and the Mob of Literati are beginning already to be very loud in its Praises. Three Bishops calld yesterday at Millar’s Shop in order to buy Copies, and to ask Questions about the Author: The Bishop of Peterborough said he had passed the Evening in a Company, where he heard it extolld above all Books in the World. You may conclude what Opinion true Philosophers will entertain of it, when these Retainers of Superstition praise it so highly.

Brev från David Hume till Adam Smith den 12 april 1759. Citerat i Adam Smith (1976) The Theory of Moral Sentiments (Oxford: Oxford University Press), s. 25.