Adam Smith

Adam Smith (baptised 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish|name=note|group=}} economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the thinking of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by some as "The Father of Economics" or "The Father of Capitalism", he wrote two classic works, ''The Theory of Moral Sentiments'' (1759) and ''An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations'' (1776). The latter, often abbreviated as ''The Wealth of Nations'', is considered his ''magnum opus'' and the first modern work that treats economics as a comprehensive system and an academic discipline. Smith refuses to explain the distribution of wealth and power in terms of God's will and instead appeals to natural, political, social, economic, legal, environmental and technological factors and the interactions among them. Among other economic theories, the work introduced Smith's idea of absolute advantage.

Smith studied social philosophy at the University of Glasgow and at Balliol College, Oxford, where he was one of the first students to benefit from scholarships set up by fellow Scot John Snell. After graduating, he delivered a successful series of public lectures at the University of Edinburgh, leading him to collaborate with David Hume during the Scottish Enlightenment. Smith obtained a professorship at Glasgow, teaching moral philosophy and during this time, wrote and published ''The Theory of Moral Sentiments''. In his later life, he took a tutoring position that allowed him to travel throughout Europe, where he met other intellectual leaders of his day.

As a reaction to the common policy of protecting national markets and merchants through minimizing imports and maximizing exports, what came to be known as mercantilism, Smith laid the foundations of classical free market economic theory. ''The Wealth of Nations'' was a precursor to the modern academic discipline of economics. In this and other works, he developed the concept of division of labour and expounded upon how rational self-interest and competition can lead to economic prosperity. Smith was controversial in his day and his general approach and writing style were often satirised by writers such as Horace Walpole. Provided by Wikipedia
Showing 1 - 20 results of 42 for search 'Smith, Adam', query time: 0.05s Refine Results
  1. 1
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1937
    Printed Book
  2. 2
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1987
    Printed Book
  3. 3
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1937
    Printed Book
  4. 4
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1975
    Printed Book
  5. 5
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1978
    Printed Book
  6. 6
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1952
    Printed Book
  7. 7
    DAISY Digital Talking Book
  8. 8
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 2003
    Printed Book
  9. 9
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 2008
    Printed Book
  10. 10
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 2003
    Printed Book
  11. 11
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1937
    Printed Book
  12. 12
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1975
    Printed Book
  13. 13
  14. 14
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1968
    Printed Book
  15. 15
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1937
    Printed Book
  16. 16
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1960
  17. 17
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1963
  18. 18
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1812
  19. 19
    by Smith, Adam
    Published 1923
    Printed Book
  20. 20