Adam Smith
1723–1790 — Scotland
Era: Early Modern
Brilliance: 9/10 | Stewardship: 6/10 | Composite Index: 54
The Wealth of Nations. Also wrote The Theory of Moral Sentiments — people forget that.
"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest."
Biography
Scottish philosopher and political economist whose The Wealth of Nations (1776) fundamentally shaped modern capitalism and economic theory. Smith pioneered concepts of division of labor, free markets, and the invisible hand, while his earlier The Theory of Moral Sentiments established his deeper philosophical framework on human sympathy and ethics.
Key Facts
- Smith was so absent-minded that he once walked into a tanning pit while deep in thought
- He spent 10 years writing *The Wealth of Nations*, driven by intellectual rigor rather than commercial pressure
- Smith believed moral sentiments, not self-interest alone, were the foundation of human society and commerce
- His concept of the 'invisible hand' appears only THREE times across his two major works, yet defined his legacy
- Smith served as customs commissioner in Scotland—a government post that seemingly contradicted his free-market philosophy
Adam Smith wrote two masterpieces. We pretend only one exists.
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