ADAM SMITH’S ENLIGHTENED WORLD

Commerce, morality, equality, the rule of law, and the role of government… Welcome to the world of Adam Smith.

What can we learn about our own world from Smith? Join the workers in an 18th century pin factory to find out more…

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The Great Antidote

Speaking of Smith is a blog that explores the ideas, legacy, and relevance of Adam Smith.

Speaking of Smith

Latest

The Errors of Mercantilism--Bullion, Balances, and Bounties

Mike Munger explores Smith's detailed study of the the deep-seated flaws of mercantilist policy—why chasing bullion, tugging at balance-of-trade figures, and propping up bounties ultimately undermined economic prosperity. Tracing out the first half of Wealth of Nations Book IV shows how mercantilism mistakes money for wealth, how protection creates monopolies at home, and why free exchange raises real prosperity. Munger also explores Smith's two narrow exceptions—defense and tax parity—while rejecting bounties and politicized treaties that entangle trade with war.

How Definitions Change Debates: Freedom, Rights, and Equality with Rebecca Lowe

Philosopher Rebecca Lowe joins me to do an ideas-only deep dive: what freedom really is, why it matters, how it intersects with equality, and how to tell coercion from choice. We talk charitable argument (steelmanning), the social value of clear definitions, and Rebecca’s agent-focused view of freedom—plus why doing something freely can have value even when the act is bad. 

Innovation on Trial: Jack Nicastro on Empower’s Fight to Exist

Why is D.C. trying to shut down a rideshare app that pays drivers more and charges riders less? Jack Nicastro of Reason Magazine joins to unpack Empower’s battle with regulators, what “innovation vs. permission” means in real life, and how markets—not mandates—keep people safe. 

Explore.

An Animal That Trades

A five-part short video series on the life and contemporary relevance of Adam Smith.

The Smith Questionnaire

The Smith Questionnaire Watch as we subject some of our favorite scholars to some silly questions about Smith.

Part 5: The Role of Authority

This short video explores Adam Smith’s view of government power: when authority is necessary, how it can overreach, and the unintended consequences that follow. It highlights Smith’s ideas on justice, public works, and innovation—while posing sharp questions about the role of authority today. 

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Adam Smith Versus the Physiocrats: British Empiricism Versus French Rationalism

July 10, 2025 "[Smith's] method endures because it aligns with human complexity. It withstands ideological fads because it reflects the world we live in." 

Artificial Sociality

August 6, 2025 ...what we would be asking about robots is, do (can) robots ever imagine another’s circumstances so as to enter into those circumstances and any of the existent sentiments associated therein? 

Equality, Wealth, and Power and the Need for Civil Government in Adam Smith, Part 1

November 4, 2025 How can political equality last in a world of economic inequality? Adam Smith's answer rests on analytical egalitarianism, where institutional design ensures competition, justice, and broad participation in governance. Jimena Hurtado explains in this two-part series. 

Equality, Wealth, and Power and the Need for Civil Government in Adam Smith, Part 2

 November 11, 2025 How can political equality last in a world of economic inequality? Adam Smith's answer rests on analytical egalitarianism, where institutional design ensures competition, justice, and broad participation in governance. Jimena Hurtado focuses on the American colonies in the final part of this two-part series. 

Adam Smith Hopes for America, Part 2

September 17, 2025 Loughran and Klein argue that Adam Smith’s optimism is due to the dovetailing of the principles behind that contrivance with his own notions regarding good governance. 

Friendship in Aristotle and Adam Smith

June 14, 2023 "Their treatments of friendship differ mainly because their works have different objectives and unequal foundations... Despite these differences, however, both Aristotle and Adam Smith give accounts of friendship that are far more robust and generous than those of most other authors. Recognising its importance to a good life, both take friendship seriously."

Teach.

AdamSmithWorks Lesson Plans

Original, classroom-ready activities to use with your students TODAY.

Prices Toolkit

Explore prices, starting with Adam Smith. 

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Lectures on Jurisprudence

Smith’s Lectures on Jurisprudence, originally delivered at the University of Glasgow in 1762–1763, presents his “theory of the rules by which civil government ought to be directed.” The chief purpose of government, according to Smith, is to preserve justice; and “the object of justice is security from injury.” The state must protect the individual’s right to his person, property, reputation, and social relations.