This study was motivated by the resurgence of interest in the writings and influence of the renowned Scottish social philosopher and political economist, Adam Smith, particularly his seminal work in classical economics, the Wealth of Nations. In recent years, as research into the Wealth of Nations has deepened, there has been a growing global movement to ‘return to Adam Smith’ or ‘Adam Smith’s...
Although the theme of the causes of poverty (and in particular begging and idleness) is not one that most directly mobilizes reflection on Smith's Wealth of Nations (Gilbert 2006), his comments on this theme appear to be key to the appropriation and interest of some of its first continental readers. The WN's treatment of issues such as "freedom of labor as a natural right" and the "free...
The reception of the Wealth of Nations in the years after its publication reveals a wide range of interpretations of Smith’s ideas. On the one hand, Smith appealed to revolutionaries and subversives; on the other hand, he appealed to ‘conservatives’ who supported the burgeoning laissez faire movement. By 1800, however, in intellectual circles, the ‘conservative’ Smith had largely won out. Yet...
While translating Adam Smith’s Lectures on Jurisprudence, I encountered two particularly challenging terms to render into Portuguese: police and stock. Both are central to Smith’s thought and essential for understanding him as a philosopher, as well as the political economy he develops in The Wealth of Nations.
