A new look at a classic work on political economy.
3/29/2004
First published in 1776, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations revolutionized the world and remains today the most important book on political economy. Though there are countless publications on Smith and the Wealth of Nations, Samuel Fleischacker, a philosophy professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago, offers the first detailed commentary on Smith by a philosopher. Fleischacker introduces his approach by writing "Adam Smith was a philosopher before he was a social scientist, yet it remains unclear to this day what relationship his philosophical writings bear to his treatise on economics." Designed to be a useful guide for experts as well as first-time readers of Adam Smith, the book is divided into clearly defined chapters such as "Self -Interest" and "Property Rights" that can be read independent of each other. On Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations: A Philosophical Companion offers new insight and understanding in reading Adam Smith for a wide audience.