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Author

Adam Smith

2 books in the PoliReads canon. Below: where to start, what each argues, and the traditions they anchor.

About Adam Smith

Scottish moral philosopher and the founding figure of modern political economy (1723–1790). Smith held the chair of moral philosophy at Glasgow before writing An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), which argued that the division of labour and the coordinating power of markets — the famous 'invisible hand' — could generate broad prosperity. Often claimed by free-market advocates, Smith was also a sharp critic of merchant monopoly and of the moral costs of commercial society, themes he developed alongside his earlier Theory of Moral Sentiments.

Books by Adam Smith

Reading paths featuring Adam Smith