ADAM SMITH’S ENLIGHTENED WORLD

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

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The Great Antidote

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

Speaking of Smith

Latest

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.

The Practical Roles of the Ideal: Adam Smith and Plato

August 28, 2024 Some interpret Plato as too idealistic to have practical bearing on the real world of politics. Adam Smith, in Theory of Moral Sentiments, provides another lens through which to understand the roles of the ideal. Smith sheds light on the practical implications of Platonic philosophy for members of the polity. A thread can thus be drawn from the liberal philosophy of Smith back to the ancient wisdom of Plato. "A personal pursuit of upwardness is sustainable, irrespective of the political conditions one finds oneself in. And that personal pursuit is perhaps the most practical way to influence how society is governed."

The Pursuit of David Hume (and Certainty)

Shirley Robin Letwin’s The Pursuit of Certainty , focuses on David Hume (and others) to understand how politics changed over time in England. Amy Willis encourages you to read, think, and question Hume's ideas and how they are used by others.

A Gentlemanly Experiment in the “Loose, Vague, and Indeterminate”

Is one loose rule better than 100 carefully crafted ones? Nicholas Snow offers a Smithian instance where the answer just might be yes.

Yuval Levin on The American Covenant

Remembering and embracing the spirit upon which America was founded—one of intellectual and political dynamism—is key to striking the balance between life, politics, and disagreement that has felt so off-kilter recently.

Henry C. Clark on Growth

Growth is essential to human life. Always has been, always will be. From the moment we are born, we grow, and we continue to throughout our lives, whether that is physically, mentally, or otherwise. Societies grow, too. But what IS growth?

Explore.

An Animal That Trades

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

Learn.

Adam Smith, the American Founding and the Political Problem of Wealth, Part 2

July 26, 2024 How do you make sure bad people do not end up in control of necessary institutions? How do you make sure that good people can rise to positions of leadership that require virtue? The American founders struggled and arguing and learned from each other as well as from thoughtful predecessors like Adam Smith.

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.

Activity: Can we expect free trade?

Use this quotation from Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations to prompt a discussion of how likely it is that any country will ever have completely free trade.

An Animal That Trades Video Series

A five-part short video series on the life and contemporary relevance of Adam Smith with complementary questions for discussion.

AdamSmithWorks Lesson Plans

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

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An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations

First published in 1776, the year in which the American Revolution officially began, Smith’s Wealth of Nations sparked a revolution of its own. In it Smith analyzes the major elements of political economy, from market pricing and the division of labor to monetary, tax, trade, and other government policies that affect economic behavior. Throughout he offers seminal arguments for free trade, free markets, and limited government.