Anthony Waterman could avoid “guessing” in 
respect of Adam Smith’s views about music and his 
alleged views of it as “un-Presbyterian 
flummery”, by consulting what Adam Smith actually wrote about music.

Smith wrote on the appreciation of music (he 
mentions “Handel”) in his essay: “Of the Nature 
of the Imitation which takes place in what are 
called the Imitative Arts”, published 
posthumously (on his instructions) in 1795 by his 
friends and literary executors Joseph Black and James Hutton.

It is thought he may have written the essay in 
1777 (in London) and Dugald Stewart mentions 
discussing the subjects with Smith some time 
later (see the editors’ introduction and the 
essay in Adam Smith, 1980. Essays in 
Philosophical Subjects. Eds. W. P. D Wightman and 
J. C. Bryce, Oxford University Press (and Liberty 
Press, Indianapolis, 1982), pages 171-175; 187-213).

Smith was not sympathetic to castigating the arts 
- poetry, theatre, dancing, singing, opera and 
music – described by Anthony as “un-Presbyterian 
flummery”.  In fact, he was more victim of the 
ever-present Presbyterian zealots and their 
fanatical views throughout his lifetime.

I also suggest an early read of Ian S. Ross, The 
Life of Adam Smith, Oxford University Press, 1976 
(2nd edition is in press now) to assist a more 
balanced view of the man, and, perhaps also a 
read of Wealth Of Nations on productive and 
unproductive labour, which had nothing whatsoever 
to do with the inherent qualities of unproductive 
labour for a civilized society.

Gavin Kennedy