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

Adam Smith and British Bubbles???

There’s a delightful moment in Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations where he neatly demonstrates the efficacy and efficiency of free trade by talking about wine... So why are the French buying up vineyard land in England???

Adam Smith on Market Changes, Efficiency, and How to Fire Employees

Adam Smith understands that markets do and must churn as supply and demand and free trade move, but he also importantly argues for measures that make these changes more bearable for workers, like implementing changes gradually and eliminating privileges and regulations that unduly benefit or insulate the powerful. 

Extras: Anne Bradley on the Political Economy of Terrorism

What happens if we acknowledge that terrorists are rational actors and that they, like the rest of us, are also responding predictably to incentives? Kevin Lavery listens in to a Great Antidote episode that takes that insight seriously. Find out more about the Political Economy of Terrorism with Anne Bradley and Juliette Sellgren. 

Explore.

Part 3: Division of Labor

This original AdamSmithWorks video explores Adam Smith’s famous concept of the division of labor—how breaking down tasks increases efficiency, productivity, and prosperity. 📈💡 

Learn.

Adam Abducted

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

From Clan to Social Grammar

February 28, 2025 In the 11th century, the Roman Catholic Church reformed consanguinity rules for marriage, bringing along a social grammar, the liberal arc, and the Great Enrichment. "The weakening of kinship ties in Europe, which led to the rise of impersonal commerce, allowed for more modern moralists to identify the unique aspects of commutative justice, elaborating precise and accurate rules in jurisprudence."

Teach.

Invisible Hand Toolkit

Explore the most famous metaphor in economics with our collection of original resources for you and your classroom. 

Teaching Resources...Right to your Inbox!

Did you miss our most recent collection about teaching the division of labor ? 

Reading Guides

Read through the original texts of Theory of Moral Sentiments and Wealth of Nations with discussion questions added directly to the text. 

Read.

Essays on Philosophical Subjects

Reflecting Adam Smith’s wide learning and varied interests, these essays shed considerable light on his place in the Scottish Enlightenment. Included are histories of astronomy, ancient logic, and ancient physics; essays on the “imitative” arts and the affinity between music, dancing, and poetry; and a critical review of Samuel Johnson’s famous Dictionary, which Smith originally published in the Edinburgh Review (1755–1756).