Quick Facts

• Born on June 16 1723
• One of the first students to receive Oxford's Snell Scholarship
• He was head of Moral Philosophy at Glasgow University
• Died on July 17 1790

Life and Work

Adam Smith was a Scottish philosopher and economist who was one of the first thinkers of 'political economy' and a leading figure in the Scottish enlightenment. Often labeled as "The Father of Capitalism" by some schools of thought, Smith was indeed focused on the economy as a whole providing a critique of the prevailing economic system, mercantilism, in his magnum opus work: "The Wealth of Nations" a lot of the ideas mentioned in the work relate to capitalism but critics argue that the capitalism of today is not like he would have envisioned. He also wrote a more philosophical work, which was also commonly read by sections of CC, titled: "The Theory of Moral Sentiments".

Selected Work by Author

The Wealth of Nations (1776)

Selected Quote from the Work

"Man is an animal that makes bargains: no other animal does this - no dog exchanges bones with another."

Referenced Sources

Seminar Slideshow on Smith

“Adam Smith.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Mar. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smith.