This paper suggests that Smith understood Newton’s system as the vital universe, composed of matters having their own vital power. Smith thought that the most significant factor in Newton’s system was the changing nature of matter, converting from an inert and brute status to a self-movable and vital one. In Newton’s system, according to Smith, the harmony of the universe was maintained as each matter moved as a result of its inherent force, not by an external force.
Smith’s vitalistic view appeared in his Wealth of Nation and Theory of Moral Sentiments. Smith believed that each individual was an active being, just as matter had active power in Newton’s system. He also thought that each individual did not passively adhere to the orders set by the society, but actively created order within the society, just as matter spontaneously contributed to the harmony of the universe by itself. In other words, Smith’s view on matter, nature, human beings, and society can be understood in terms of his vitalistic Newtonianism.