Before he wrote about money, he wrote about . In this book, Smith argued that humans have a natural "sympathy" for others. He introduced the idea of the "impartial spectator" —an internal moral compass that helps us judge our own behavior through the eyes of others. To Smith, a stable society required virtue and ethics, not just cold transactions. 3. The Wealth of Nations (1776)
Smith spent his final years in Edinburgh as a , a somewhat ironic job for a man who championed free trade. Before he died, he insisted that almost all of his private papers be burned , leaving behind only his finished masterpieces. He remains the foundational figure for modern capitalism, though he also warned about the dangers of monopolies and the need for governments to provide public goods like education. The Life of Adam Smith
He argued that when individuals pursue their own self-interest in a free market, they often inadvertently promote the good of society as a whole. Before he wrote about money, he wrote about
Published the same year as the U.S. Declaration of Independence, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations changed the world. Key concepts included: To Smith, a stable society required virtue and
Smith was a key figure in the . Born in Kirkcaldy and educated at the University of Glasgow and Oxford, he grew up in an era of intense intellectual curiosity. He wasn't just an economist—he was a moral philosopher . He spent much of his career as a professor, famously known for being so "absent-minded" that he once reportedly walked fifteen miles in his bathrobe while lost in thought. 2. The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759)