Adam Smith Summary

Smith, Adam Although Adam Smith (1723–1790) was not the originator of many of the ideas that became modern economics, his synthesizing treatise, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wea... Read more

Smith, Adam(1723–1790) Adam Smith, one of the most influential political economists of Western society, first became known as a moral philosopher. Smith was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. His fat... Read more

The Scottish economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith (1723-1790) believed that in a laissez-faire economy the impulse of self-interest would work toward the public welfare.Adam Smith was born on Ju... Read more

There is something of a cult of Adam Smith at present. One devotee (George J. W. Goodman) has appropriated Smith's name to sell books about making money, others advise local and central governments in... Read more

In the following excerpt from a chapter on The Theory of Moral Sentiments in Hirst's full-length study of Smith's career, Hirst focuses on Smith's notion of virtue, discussing the... Read more

In the following excerpt, Bittermann examines Smith's methodology in relation to the doctrine of natural law, arguing that, in formulating his ethical and economic theories, Smith rejected the ... Read more

In the following essay, Campbell argues that Smith's moral and political philosophies are ultimately based on the principle of utility. The thesis that Smith's theory of morality is esse... Read more

In the following excerpt, Lux faults Smith's thesis (in The Wealth of Nations) that human self-interest is solely responsible for the economic well-being of the public, arguing that this theory... Read more

Adam Smith is commonly regarded as the father of economics. He was famous for his fabulously written book An Inquiry into the Nature of and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. In this series, he combine... Read more