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statementVerified

TMS prints the impartial spectator as a public check on self-love

Dated 15 April 1759: TMS prints the impartial spectator as a public check on self-love. In the causal graph this event strengthens Democratic Resilience, a driver that strengthens Having a say in government — an improving welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

Read the full account

Not a franchise. Medium confidence on later liberal ancestry. Adam Smith did not operate this later page as a civil-registry autograph.

Context

Shared institutions, unnamed crews, and later editors remain in the record and do not erase a documented heading.

Adam Smith Shared work with other named actors remains in the record.

Adam Smith’s documented role is bounded by other offices and collaborators named in the sources below.

Conventional years are 1723–1790.

Why it matters

Not a franchise.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • Adam Smith

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.32 · verified

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

    1. FactTMS prints the impartial spectator as a public check on self-love
    2. strengthensDriverDemocratic Resilience
    3. strengthensIndicators (3)Having a say in government
    Improving path

    impact weight 0.4 · Effect from 15 April 1759 · verified

    • Having a say in government

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.28 (weight 0.4 × strength 0.7)

      Observed

      29.8% of population aged 16-65 years · 8.13 below the normal line (2023)

      Worse than normal

      Two readings: 30.2% of population aged 16-65 years (2021) and 29.8% of population aged 16-65 years (2023).

      20212023

      Above normal = better

    • Clean elections index

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.18 (weight 0.4 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.53 score from 0 to 1 · 0.34 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      125 readings, 1900–2024: rose from 0.17 score from 0 to 1 to 0.53 score from 0 to 1.

      Above normal = better

    • WJP Rule of Law Index (global)

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.18 (weight 0.4 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.55 index score (0-1) · 0.26 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      Above normal = better

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy — Adam SmithInternet Encyclopedia of Philosophy · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.The Theory of Moral Sentiments — public EnglishProject Gutenberg · High credibility · verified
What the sources establish

Adam Smith did not file a later UNESCO form, a later Loeb colophon, or a later museum label as a personal act.

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorAdam Smith
  2. contributed toFactTMS prints the impartial spectator as a public check on self-love
  3. strengthensDriverDemocratic Resilience
  4. strengthensIndicatorHaving a say in government

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). TMS prints the impartial spectator as a public check on self-love. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/asm-impartial-spectator

https://factrail.ai/facts/asm-impartial-spectator

Accessed 16 October 2026.

By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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