Literature Network » Adam Smith

Between Colbert and Adam Smith.(Jean-Baptiste Colbert)(political theory and literature)

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From: The Cato Journal
Date: 20020101
Author:de Jasay, Anthony

Some writers tell us that they do not really write their novels. Instead, they create characters, dramatis personae, and then sit back and watch. They let the characters meet, interact, like and dislike, love and hate each other, and pretty well write their own story by behaving as such characters would. The novelist, or so he claims, is really just reading the story his characters have written.

There may well be occasions when the political theorist can employ much the same technique without being more misleading than usual. Those occasions typically involve somewhat ...

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