アダム・スミス（1723-90年）で思い浮かべるのは「経済学の祖」、市場原理主義、「神の見えざる手」、そして主著『国富論』でしょうか。しかし、スミスが啓蒙主義の一翼を担ったクラスゴー大では、哲学や法学の講義を行い、『道徳感情論』で人間の感情や道徳を論じ、疑問に答えを出そうとする人の意欲を説明すべく天文学史を手掛け、文法と言語の発達について分析するなど、幅広い領域に及ぶ学際的な研究を行いました。知られざるその思想の真価と背景に迫ります。(cf. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (Oxford World's Classics))
　　

• Introduces Adam Smith through an overview of his writings and moral philosophy
• Provides a non-technical, accessible account of Smith's central ideas in The Wealth of Nations
• Outlines Smith's intellectual and social environment, and its influence on his thinking
• Offers a clear account of Smith's economics
• Discusses Smith's influence on subsequent generations, and the ways in which he has been interpreted

 
In 1776 Adam Smith (1723-90) wrote The Wealth of Nations , a book so foundational it has led to him being called the 'father of economics'. Today he is associated with the promotion of self-interest, a defence of greed and a criticism of any governmental 'interference' in market transactions which, if left to the 'invisible hand', will produce prosperity and liberty. Yet if Smith is actually read these associations are more a caricature than a faithful portrait. 

In this Very Short Introduction, Christopher Berry offers a balanced and nuanced view of this seminal thinker, embedding his fierce defence of free trade, competition, and assault on special interests in contemporary European history, politics, and philosophy. As Berry explores, Smith was far more than an economist. His book The Theory of Moral Sentiment, offered a complex account of ethics in the context of human social behaviour. His scope as a professor at the University of Glasgow, a major centre of the Scottish Enlightenment, was extensive. Beyond courses in philosophy and jurisprudence he also gave classes covering history, literature, and language. In addition to his two major works he also wrote a pioneering study of the history of astronomy as an illustration of the motivations that drive humans to seek answers to questions. He produced, again derived from his Glasgow classroom, an analysis of the development of grammar and language. As Christopher Berry shows, Adam Smith was no narrow thinker, but rather one who produced not only one of the greatest books in the history of social science, but also a wide-ranging body of work that remains significant today.