Adam Smith : father of economics

Summary: Adam Smith (1723-1790) is now widely regarded as the greatest economist of all time. But what he really thought, and the implications of his ideas, remain fiercely contested. Was he an eloquent advocate of capitalism and individual freedom? A prime mover of "market fundamentalism"? An apologist for human selfishness? Or something else entirely? In Adam Smith, political philosopher Jesse Norman dispels the myths and caricatures, and provides a far more complex portrait of the man. Offering a highly engaging account of Smith's life and times, Norman explores his work as a whole and traces his influence over two centuries to the present day. Finally, he shows how a proper understanding of Smith can help us address the problems of modern capitalism. The Smith who emerges from this book is not only the greatest of all economists but a pioneering theorist of moral philosophy, culture, and society.

Item details

ISBN: 9780465061976
ISBN: 0465061974
Physical Description: print
xvi, 408 pages 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), color map ; 25 cm
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: New York, NY : Basic Books, Hachette Books Group, 2018.
Copyright: ©2018

Contents / Notes

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 341-391) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Part one: Life -- Kirkcaldy boy, 1723-1746 -- "The most useful, happiest and most honourable period of my life", 1746-1759 -- Enlightened interlude, 1760-1773 -- "You are surely to reign alone on these subjects", 1773-1776 -- Working to the end, 1776-1790 -- Part two: Thought -- Reputation, fact and myth -- Smith's economics -- Adam Smith and markets -- Part three: Impact -- Capitalism and its discontents -- The moral basis of commercial society -- Conclusion: Why it matters.

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Subject:

Smith, Adam 1723-1790
Economists Great Britain
Economics Philosophy
Capitalism Moral and ethical aspects
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Business
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Historical
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Philosophers
HISTORY Europe Great Britain Scotland
HISTORY Europe Great Britain Victorian Era (1837-1901)
HISTORY Modern 18th Century
HISTORY Modern 19th Century
HISTORY Modern 20th Century
HISTORY Modern 21st Century
HISTORY United States 19th Century
HISTORY United States 20th Century
HISTORY United States 21st Century
HISTORY United States Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)
PHILOSOPHY Ethics & Moral Philosophy
PHILOSOPHY Political
POLITICAL SCIENCE Political Economy
POLITICAL SCIENCE Political Ideologies Capitalism
POLITICAL SCIENCE Political Ideologies Libertarianism
Smith, Adam 1723-1790
Capitalism Moral and ethical aspects
Economics Philosophy
Economists
Great Britain

Genre:

Biographies.

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