It is symbolic that Adam Smith's masterwork of economic analysis, The Wealth of Nations, was first published in 1776, the same year as the Declaration of Independence.
Smith fervently extolled the enlightened notion that individuals are fully capable of setting and regulating prices for their own goods and services. He argued passionately in favor of free trade, yet stood up for the little guy: he saw a tacit conspiracy on the part of employers ''always and everywhere'' to keep wages as low as possible.
The result of Smith's efforts is a witty, highly readable work of genius filled with prescient theories that form the basis of a thriving capitalist system.
This 21st. Century digital edition offers the modern reader a fresh look at a timeless and seminal work that revolutionized the way governments and individuals view the creation and dispersion of wealth--and that continues to influence our economy right up to the present day.
ADAM SMITH (1723-1790) was a Scottish political economist and philosopher, best known for two classic works: The Wealth of Nations, (the first study of modern economics) and The Theory of Moral Sentiments.
