Adam Smith

Extracted Attributes

• Era

  Scottish Enlightenment

• Born

  1723-06-05

• Died

  1790-07-17

• Award

  Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts

• Education

  University of Glasgow, Balliol College, Oxford

• Known For

  The Father of Economics, The Father of Capitalism

• Occupation

  Economist, Philosopher, Author, Social Philosopher, Political Economist

• Citizenship

  Kingdom of Great Britain

• Masterpiece

  An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations

• Nationality

  Scottish

• Key Concepts

  Absolute advantage, Division of labor, Rational self-interest, Competition, Invisible hand

• Place of Birth

  Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland

• Place of Death

  Edinburgh, Scotland

Timeline

• Baptized in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. (Source: dbpedia, web_search_results)

  1723-06-05

• Began studies at the University of Glasgow. (Source: web_search_results)

  1737

• Continued studies at Balliol College, Oxford. (Source: summary, web_search_results)

  1740

• Began delivering public lectures at the University of Edinburgh. (Source: summary, dbpedia)

  1748

• Appointed Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow. (Source: summary, dbpedia)

  1751

• Published 'The Theory of Moral Sentiments'. (Source: summary, dbpedia)

  1759

• Embarked on extensive travels across Europe as a tutor, engaging with intellectuals. (Source: summary, dbpedia)

  1764

• Published his masterpiece, 'An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations'. (Source: summary, dbpedia)

  1776

• Appointed Commissioner of Customs in Scotland and moved to Edinburgh. (Source: web_search_results)

  1778

• Became a founding member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. (Source: web_search_results)

  1783

• Served as Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow (until 1789). (Source: web_search_results)

  1787

• Died in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Source: wikidata, dbpedia)

  1790-07-17

Web Search Results

• Adam Smith - Wikipedia

  Adam Smith (baptised 16 June [O.S. 5 June] 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the field of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by many as the "father of economics" or the "father of capitalism", he is primarily known for two classic works: The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). The latter, often abbreviated as The Wealth of Nations, is [...] Adam Smith was born in Kirkcaldy, in Fife, Scotland. His father, Adam Smith senior, was a Scottish Writer to the Signet (senior solicitor), advocate and prosecutor (judge advocate) and also served as comptroller of the customs in Kirkcaldy. Smith's mother was born Margaret Douglas, daughter of the landed Robert Douglas of Strathendry, also in Fife; she married Smith's father in 1720. Two months before Smith was born, his father died, leaving his mother a widow. The date of Smith's baptism into [...] In 1778 Smith was appointed to a post as commissioner of customs in Scotland and went to live with his mother (who died in 1784) in Panmure House "Panmure House (Edinburgh)") in the Canongate in Edinburgh. Five years later, as a member of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh when it received its royal charter, he automatically became one of the founding members of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. From 1787 to 1789 he occupied the honorary position of Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow.

• Adam Smith: Who He Was, Early Life, Accomplishments, and Legacy

  Adam Smith was an 18th-century Scottish philosopher; he is considered the father of modern economics. Smith is most famous for his 1776 book, "The Wealth of Nations." Smith's writings were studied by 20th-century philosophers, writers, and economists. Smith's ideas—the importance of free markets, assembly-line production methods, and gross domestic product (GDP)—formed the basis for theories of classical economics. [...] Adam Smith was an 18th-century Scottish economist, philosopher, and author who is considered the father of modern economics. Smith argued against mercantilism and was a major proponent of laissez-faire economic policies. In his first book, "The Theory of Moral Sentiments", Smith proposed the idea of an invisible hand—the tendency of free markets to regulate themselves using competition, supply and demand, and self-interest.12 ### Key Takeaways

• Adam Smith | Biography, Books, Capitalism, Invisible Hand, & Facts

  In Next Feat of Capitalism, ‘Succession’ Star Brian Cox Plays Ghost of Adam Smith • July 29, 2025, 10:57 PM ET (Bloomberg) Adam Smith (baptized June 5, 1723, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland—died July 17, 1790, Edinburgh) was a Scottish social philosopher and political economist, instrumental in the rise of classical liberalism. [...] Adam Smith is a towering figure in the history of economic thought. Known primarily for a single work—An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), the first comprehensive system of political economy—he is more properly regarded as a social philosopher whose economic writings constitute only the capstone to an overarching view of political and social evolution. If his masterwork is viewed in relation to his earlier lectures on moral philosophy and government, as well as [...] SUBSCRIBE Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos # Adam Smith Scottish philosopher Written by Robert L. Heilbroner Norman Thomas Professor Emeritus of Economics, New School for Social Research, New York City. Author of The Worldly Philosophers; The Nature and Logic of Capitalism; and others. Robert L. Heilbroner Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

• Adam Smith: Biography, Scottish Philosopher, Economist

  Adam Smith was an economist and philosopher who wrote what is considered the "bible of capitalism," The Wealth of Nations, in which he details the first system of political economy. ## Early Years While his exact date of birth isn’t known, Smith’s baptism was recorded on June 5, 1723, in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. He attended the Burgh School, where he studied Latin, mathematics, history and writing. Smith entered the University of Glasgow when he was 14 and in 1740 went to Oxford. ## Economics [...] Name: Adam Smith Birth Year: 1723 Birth date: June 5, 1723 Birth City: Kirkcaldy Birth Country: Scotland Gender: Male Best Known For: Scottish social philosopher and political economist Adam Smith wrote 'The Wealth of Nations' and achieved the first comprehensive system of political economy. Industries + Politics and Government + Business and Industry + Education and Academia Astrological Sign: Gemini Schools + University of Oxford + University of Glasgow + Burgh School [...] Skip to Content 1. Famous Scholars & Educators 2. Philosophers 3. Adam Smith # Adam Smith Scottish social philosopher and political economist Adam Smith wrote 'The Wealth of Nations' and achieved the first comprehensive system of political economy. Photo: Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images // Getty Images (1723-1790) ## Who Was Adam Smith?

• Adam Smith (1723—1790) - Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

  Adam Smith was born in June, 1723, in Kirkcaldy, a port town on the eastern shore of Scotland; the exact date is unknown. His father, the Comptroller and Collector of Customs, died while Smith’s mother was pregnant but left the family with adequate resources for their financial well being. Young Adam was educated in a local parish (district) school. In 1737, at the age of thirteen he was sent to Glasgow College after which he attended Baliol College at Oxford University. His positive [...] The Scottish Enlightenment philosophers, or the literati, as they called themselves, were a close-knit group who socialized together and who read, critiqued, and debated each other’s work. They met regularly in social clubs (often at pubs) to discuss politics and philosophy. Shortly after graduating from Oxford, Smith presented public lectures on moral philosophy in Edinburgh, and then, with the assistance of the literati, he secured his first position as the Chair of Logic at Glasgow [...] As a young philosopher, Smith experimented with different topics, and there is a collection of writing fragments to compliment his lecture notes and early essays. These include brief explorations of “Ancient Logics,” metaphysics, the senses, physics, aesthetics, the work of Jean-Jacque Rousseau, and other assorted topics. Smith’s Scottish Enlightenment contemporaries shared an interest in all of these issues.

• Award

  Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts

• Image

  

• Gender

  male

• Educated At

  University of Glasgow

• Instance Of

  Q5

• Occupation

  writer

• Citizenship

  Kingdom of Great Britain

• Date Of Birth

  6/1/1723

• Date Of Death

  7/17/1790

• Notable Work

  The Wealth of Nations

• Place Of Birth

  Kirkcaldy

• Place Of Death

  Edinburgh

Adam Smith (baptized 16 June [O.S. 5 June] 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the thinking of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by some as "The Father of Economics" or "The Father of Capitalism", he wrote two classic works, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). The latter, often abbreviated as The Wealth of Nations, is considered his magnum opus and the first modern work that treats economics as a comprehensive system and as an academic discipline. Smith refuses to explain the distribution of wealth and power in terms of God’s will and instead appeals to natural, political, social, economic and technological factors and the interactions between them. Among other economic theories, the work introduced Smith's idea of absolute advantage. Smith studied social philosophy at the University of Glasgow and at Balliol College, Oxford, where he was one of the first students to benefit from scholarships set up by fellow Scot John Snell. After graduating, he delivered a successful series of public lectures at the University of Edinburgh, leading him to collaborate with David Hume during the Scottish Enlightenment. Smith obtained a professorship at Glasgow, teaching moral philosophy and during this time, wrote and published The Theory of Moral Sentiments. In his later life, he took a tutoring position that allowed him to travel throughout Europe, where he met other intellectual leaders of his day. As a reaction to the common policy of protecting national markets and merchants, what came to be known as mercantilism, Smith laid the foundations of classical free market economic theory. The Wealth of Nations was a precursor to the modern academic discipline of economics. In this and other works, he developed the concept of division of labour and expounded upon how rational self-interest and competition can lead to economic prosperity. Smith was controversial in his own day and his general approach and writing style were often satirised by writers such as Horace Walpole.