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 18^th century pin factory to find out more…

Interactive Pin Factory

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's Nation of Shopkeepers

Adam Smith closes Book IV of the Wealth of Nations by dismantling mercantilism through the lens of colonial policy, monopoly, and rent seeking, then weighs physiocracy against the system of natural liberty. We trace why colonies grew despite Europe, not because of it, and how “wealth as money” broke policy and fueled war.

The Story of The Great Antidote: A Conversation with Veronique de Rugy

In this final episode of The Great Antidote, I sit down with my mom, Veronique de Rugy (does this feel like a Mr. Big name reveal for some of you?!), to reflect on the podcast and the remarkable journey of the past five years. Together, we revisit how the show started, the ideas that shaped it, the moments that changed me, and the people whose support made everything possible. This episode is a reflection on learning, growth, and gratitude—and a thank-you to everyone who has been part of this project.

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.

Part 5: The Role of Authority

This short video explores Adam Smith’s view of government power: when authority is necessary, how it can overreach, and the unintended consequences that follow. It highlights Smith’s ideas on justice, public works, and innovation—while posing sharp questions about the role of authority today.

Learn.

Adam Smith Versus the Physiocrats: British Empiricism Versus French Rationalism

July 10, 2025 "[Smith's] method endures because it aligns with human complexity. It withstands ideological fads because it reflects the world we live in."

Artificial Sociality

August 6, 2025 ...what we would be asking about robots is, do (can) robots ever imagine another’s circumstances so as to enter into those circumstances and any of the existent sentiments associated therein?

Equality, Wealth, and Power and the Need for Civil Government in Adam Smith, Part 1

November 4, 2025 How can political equality last in a world of economic inequality? Adam Smith's answer rests on analytical egalitarianism, where institutional design ensures competition, justice, and broad participation in governance. Jimena Hurtado explains in this two-part series.

Equality, Wealth, and Power and the Need for Civil Government in Adam Smith, Part 2

November 11, 2025 How can political equality last in a world of economic inequality? Adam Smith's answer rests on analytical egalitarianism, where institutional design ensures competition, justice, and broad participation in governance. Jimena Hurtado focuses on the American colonies in the final part of this two-part series.

Adam Smith Hopes for America, Part 2

September 17, 2025 Loughran and Klein argue that Adam Smith’s optimism is due to the dovetailing of the principles behind that contrivance with his own notions regarding good governance.

Friendship in Aristotle and Adam Smith

June 14, 2023 "Their treatments of friendship differ mainly because their works have different objectives and unequal foundations... Despite these differences, however, both Aristotle and Adam Smith give accounts of friendship that are far more robust and generous than those of most other authors. Recognising its importance to a good life, both take friendship seriously."

Teach.

AdamSmithWorks Lesson Plans

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

Prices Toolkit

Explore prices, starting with Adam Smith.

Read.

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.