Adam Smith: A Very Short Introduction

Description

Today Adam Smith, author of the Wealth of Nations, is associated with the promotion of self-interest and a defence of greed. Yet if Smith is actually read this is more a caricature than a faithful portrait. Berry offers a balanced and nuanced view of this seminal thinker, set against contemporary European history, politics, and philosophy.

• 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
• Part of the Very Short Introductions series - over nine million copies sold worldwide

About the Author(s)

Christopher J. Berry, Honorary Research Professor, University of Glasgow

Chris Berry is Professor Emeritus at Glasgow University. In addition to his reputation as a leading scholar of Smith, Hume, and the Scottish Enlightenment, his books include The Idea of Luxury (Cambridge University Press, 1994_. He has given invited keynote lectures on his work in China, Japan, Chile, USA, and across Europe. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (Scotland' s National Academy) , of which Adam Smith was a founder member.

Table of Contents

1:Life and times
2:Communication and imagination
3:Sympathetic spectators
4:Living virtuously
5:Making and working
6:Trading and spending
7:Legacy and reputation
References
Further reading
Index

Reviews

"The book certainly delivers on being a "stimulating and accessible account" of Smith's context and work and therefore every library must acquire a copy." - Alex M. Thomas, Indian Journal of Human Development

"Christopher Berry provides a clear and thorough guide to all of Adam Smith's major works, as well as their social and intellectual context. The level of detailed attention, to texts and issues, is indeed remarkable, given the brevity of the book. This is a first-rate introduction, which has something to offer to college students and seasoned scholars alike." - Sam Fleischacker, author of On Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations: A Philosophical Companion