Adam Smith's sympathetic method and "impartial spectator" can be an antidote to the Millsian epistemology of ignorance. Where the Rawlsian veil of ignorance abstracts away critical info, Smith's sympathetic method explicitly reaches out to pull more information in. 1/6

The impartiality of the "inhabitant of the breast" is constructed asymptotically by "entering into" the feelings & circumstances of the other, engaging in a kind of reflective equilibrium with one's own thoughts & iterating outward, reaching beyond one's own culture. 2/6

Amartya Sen calls this "open impartiality" to contrast with the "closed impartiality" of contractarian traditions that tend to smuggle in dominant group biases. Smith's open impartiality takes place in *realized* social contexts, rather than ideal-theoretic just institutions. 3/6

Christel Fricke argues that Smith's "wise and virtuous" person is characterized by their greater degree of suspicion of both their own biases and the possibility of unjust parochial norms. Smith has all the tools to perceive racialized and patriarchal normative structure. 4/6

Combine this with Smith's persistent distrust of power, his awareness of the "love of domination," and his acute sympathy for the weak and poor and you can mix a quite radical cocktail. Just saying Smith would have been an intersectional feminist if he were alive today! 5/6

There's even a hint of justifying reparative policy. His commitment to the uniformity of human nature (see philosopher & porter) would've led Smith to view the racial wealth gap w/ hostile suspicion. The sage would sacrifice their own unjust interests (eg white supremacy). 6/6

Care should be taken here though, as the second passage in tweet 6 immediately follows Smith's famous discussion of the "man of system," which cuts against radical policy. 7/6