ADAM SMITH’S ENLIGHTENED WORLD

Commerce, morality, equality, the rule of law, and the role of government… Welcome to the world of Adam Smith.

What can we learn about our own world from Smith? Join the workers in an 18th century pin factory to find out more…

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Listen to the latest podcast episodes with full show notes and transcripts.

The Great Antidote

Speaking of Smith is a blog that explores the ideas, legacy, and relevance of Adam Smith.

Speaking of Smith

Latest

Who Owns What a Machine Creates? Adam Smith on AI and Copyright

Smith believed that true innovation thrives under competition, not under the shadow of legal exclusivity. We should be cautious before inventing new categories, such as granting authorship to machines, unless and until the practice emerges organically from society. 

The Limits of Liberty: Buchanan’s Case for Constitutional Rules with Edward Lopez

What happens when people stop trusting rules—and start rewriting them? In this episode, we are joined by economist Edward Lopez about the life and legacy of James M. Buchanan , the Nobel Prize-winning founder of public choice economics. We begin by unpacking Buchanan’s biography and intellectual roots: what shaped his worldview, who influenced his thinking, and why his work remains foundational to understanding government, rules, and freedom.

Why Some States Succeed: Mobility, Markets, and the Freedom to Flourish with Justin Callais

What makes some states thrive while others trap people in place? And what does it really mean to be free to move, grow, and flourish?

Explore.

An Animal That Trades

A five-part short video series on the life and contemporary relevance of Adam Smith.

The Smith Questionnaire

The Smith Questionnaire Watch as we subject some of our favorite scholars to some silly questions about Smith.

Learn.

Adam Abducted

March 3, 2025 Doug Curtis and Jeremy Lott are back at AdamSmithWorks illustrating a colorful event from Adam Smith early years.

Why Read Adam Smith Today? Enduring Insight

After a year-long celebration of Adam Smith's birth in 2023, Peter Boettke addresses those still not well-versed with Smith's magisterial work of political economy.

Teach.

Prices Toolkit

Explore prices, starting with Adam Smith. 

Wealth of Nations

AdamSmithWorks Lesson Plans

Original, classroom-ready activities to use with your students TODAY.

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Lectures on Jurisprudence

Smith’s Lectures on Jurisprudence, originally delivered at the University of Glasgow in 1762–1763, presents his “theory of the rules by which civil government ought to be directed.” The chief purpose of government, according to Smith, is to preserve justice; and “the object of justice is security from injury.” The state must protect the individual’s right to his person, property, reputation, and social relations.