Speaking of Smith Archives

ASW Paper Preview: Alexandra Oprea on "Adam Smith on Political Judgment: Revisiting the Political Theory of the Wealth of Nations"

August 30, 2023

Alexandra Oprea discusses her paper "Adam Smith on Political Judgment: Revisiting the Political Theory of the Wealth of Nations."

Adam Smith on Cost and Utility

August 29, 2023

"That Smith had emphasized cost is a consensus among economists, but that Smith emphasized utility might be a misunderstanding. In fact, Smith had put utility away in both his books for different reasons."

What Adam Smith Ate: An Assize of Bread

August 25, 2023

"We are familiar with [Adam Smith's] ideas about wheat, the potato and corn. But readers may be less familiar with the idea of 'assizes' or local regulations on those same loaves."

Avoid Traps with Adam Smith and Gordon Tullock

August 16, 2023

Adam Smith and Gordon Tullock argue for gradual change to protect those trapped by bad regulations but also avoiding those traps in the first place.

AdamSmithWorks Essays: Top Ten

August 15, 2023

AdamSmithWorks has been posting essays for over three years. Find out about the most popular ideas and authors for our long-form work here.

Seeing Beauty in Utility with Adam Smith

August 9, 2023

"On reflection, Smith’s claim that utility confers beauty seems powerful and persuasive."

Michelle Blackmon on making Enquiry Concerning Hereafter

August 7, 2023

Blackmon spent hundreds of hours with Adam Smith and David Hume (and the Greek ferryman to the underworld, Charon) in the past few months as she worked on creating an audio version of Duane Kelly's Enquiry Concerning the Hereafter. Here, she shares some brief reflections on the project.

Adam Smith Comics: Not From Benevolence

August 3, 2023

Though benevolence and charity are good and necessary things, they are not how most wants can be met. Even beggars must trade.

The Invisible Threads: Adam Smith and the Global Second-Hand Clothing Trade

August 2, 2023

"Even though some parts of this trade run on American good will (Goodwill pun intended), ultimately the people doing the heavy lifting have to make a profit to keep going. Benevolence alone does not get shirts from Arizona to Ghana."

Ghosts in Edinburgh

July 27, 2023

Duane visiting Adam Smith’s grave in Edinburgh, 2022

The author of Enquiry Concerning Hereafter about the dear friendship between Adam Smith and David Hume talks about whoo-whoo moments and being, perhaps, just a little bit like William Shakespeare.

Demand-Side Self-Interest, Part 2

July 18, 2023

"the demand side of the market is at its best when marketplaces of ideas and association are alive and well as a driving force behind patterns and trends."

Demand-Side Self-Interest, Part 1

July 17, 2023

"...it’s only by appreciating both the supply and demand side of self-interest that you end up with a pro-free market flavor."