Adam Smith - a primer

Eamon Butler

Published by Institute of Economic Affairs, London, 2007

About this Item

94 pages. Despite his fame, there is still widespread ignorance about the breadth of Adam Smith's contributions to economics, politics and philosophy. In Adam Smith - A P rimer, Eamonn Butler provides an authoritative introduction to the life and work of this 'founder of economics'. The author examines not only The Wealth of Nati ons, with its insights on trade and the division of labour, but also less well k nown works, such as The Theory of Moral Sentiments, the lectures, and the writin gs on the history of science. Butler therefore provides a comprehensive, but con cise, overview of Adam Smith's intellectual achievements. Whilst earlier writers may have studied economic matters, it is clear that the scope of Smith's enquir ies was remarkable. In relating economic progress to human nature and institutio nal evolution he provided a completely new understanding of how human society wo rks and was very much a precursor of writers such as Hayek and Popper. Indeed, w ith poor governance, protectionism and social engineering still commonplace, Smi th's arguments are still highly relevant to policymakers today. Adam Smith - A P rimer includes a foreword by Sir Alan Peacock, an introduction by Gavin Kennedy and a commentary by Craig Smith.

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Adam Smith - a primer
• Publisher: Institute of Economic Affairs, London
• Publication Date: 2007
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Business