Abstract: This study aims to clarify the significance of Leon Walras’s concept of “sympathy” by comparing it with that of Adam Smith. It has been pointed out that neoclassical economic analysis overlooks the unselfish aspect of human nature. Did Walras, one of the originators of neoclassical economics, lack this concept? Walras first discussed “sympathy” in his pre-Lausanne days, and unabatedly continued to do so after the construction of his general equilibrium theory. I demonstrate that his arguments regarding sympathy and humanity not only are limited to morality, but also relate to his economic views through concepts such as division of labor.
