Adam Smith
1723 – 1790 Scottish economist, philosopher
The founder of modern economics, author of The Wealth of Nations.
- Religion
- Nominally Presbyterian but privately a deist or skeptic, close to Hume; his views on religion were cautious and reserved.
- Affiliations
- A leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment. No secret society.
Smith argued that individuals pursuing their own gain are led by an invisible hand to benefit society, laying the foundation of market economics. The Wealth of Nations analyzed labor, trade, and value with new rigor. His earlier Theory of Moral Sentiments grounded it in human sympathy.
Connections
- ally of David Hume — Close lifelong friends and intellectual partners.
- ally of David Hume — Lifelong close friends among the Scottish Enlightenment.
- associate of David Hume — Closest friend; Smith's account of Hume's death drew more outrage than his economics.
In the timeline
- 1776 Publication of The Wealth of Nations author
- 1776 Adam Smith founds economics with The Wealth of Nations central figure
- 1977 Chandler names the visible hand of management mentioned