ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the development of a through line from the work of Adam Smith (1759) in his The Theory of Moral Sentiments (TMS) on the impartial spectator and morality, through Sigmund Freud's work on the internalization of morality through the superego. It then provides a comparison of the impartial spectator and the superego. The chapter presents an overview of defenses in Smith's TMS and in Freud's works. It also proffers a discussion of superego, morality and defenses in contemporary psychoanalysis. Raphael (2007) states that Smith's theory, particularly as it relates to the impartial spectator, bears a resemblance to Freud's account of the superego. A major difference between Freud and Smith is that Smith did not have the benefit of Freud's more secular and pragmatic view of the human condition. The chapter discusses the defensive attitudes that are essential to develop the moral structure integral to Smith's system.
