Neblux Knowledge Graph
Adam Smith
Adam Smith (1723–1790) is a Scottish moral philosopher and political economist whose Wealth of Nations (1776) laid the intellectual foundation for classical economics by analyzing the division of labor, free markets, and the role of self-interest in generating collective prosperity.
Why it matters
Smith's work became the foundational text of modern economics, transforming how governments and thinkers approach trade, taxation, and the organization of productive society. His arguments for free markets profoundly shaped economic policy from the Industrial Revolution to the present.
What it builds on
Related concepts
- Self-OrganizationconceptualSmith's 'invisible hand' describes economic self-organization: complex market order emerging from decentralized individual decisions without central design
- Economic DevelopmenthistoricalSmith's analysis of division of labor, capital accumulation, and trade as drivers of national wealth founded development economics
- Ethical FrameworkshistoricalSmith's Theory of Moral Sentiments grounded ethics in sympathy and impartial spectator judgment, connecting moral philosophy to economic behavior
- Social SciencelogicalAdam Smith provides conceptual grounding that helps explain Social Science in this knowledge graph.