Greg Mason Burns

February 2023

Blur #3 is an abstract photo of a tiny paint swab no more than 1/4" in size.

Truth and Lies

Before he wrote The Wealth of Nations, in his book The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith pontificated something extreme with regards to charity. He roughly stated that we don’t know the difference between making ourselves feel good and “doing it for God” when being charitable towards other humans. This got him into some trouble with the church. It was only a little trouble because he had sprinkled in enough references to “God” to keep him safe. Smith had learned from his friend David Hume's failures. Hume didn’t lie, and society severely punished him both academically and socially. Adam Smith...