Adam Smith Research Paper

Throughout time, the philosophical community has given birth to many brilliant minds, spawning an impact in fields such as societal issues, economic issues, and governmental issues. One notable philosopher who dates back to the Enlightenment Period, Adam Smith, had achieved many deeds for himself and for the people of his society. Interestingly enough, in today’s world, Adam Smith is seen as the father of capitalism, his capitalistic ideas are most seen in a book he published called, “The Wealth of Nations.” On the other hand, at a young age, Adam was destined to achieve remarkable deeds, studying in a wide variety of fields throughout his early years; as a result, through his hard work, Adam Smith has spawned a striking influence that roams

As time flew by, Adam graduated in 1740 from Glasgow University and then received the opportunity to attend Oxford University via a scholarship he was gifted. From this point onward, Adam would go on to give speeches at Edinburgh University in 1748, be appointed as faculty of Glasgow University in 1751, and published one of his best works “The Theory of Moral Sentiments” in 1759. With that said, throughout the many works that Adam Smith had published throughout his career as a philosopher, he conveyed to the public his teachings, hoping it would one-day influence one person, or how it ultimately ended as, a whole society. For example, through his publication of “The

However, I will be particularly focusing on the idea of “Impartial Spectator” because it is perhaps the most known principle/theme of his book. With that said, throughout the section he devotes for the idea, Adam Smith expresses and proposes that each human contains a “force” that manipulates and aids our actions; or how he conveyed it as, he believed that we humans are being driven by a motive that aids our cognitive thinking each day, stating “led by an invisible hand… without knowing it, without intending it, to advance the interest of the society.” In general, “The Impartial Spectator” is a theory of conscience that derives from Adam Smith’s belief that we humans are capable of making judgments based upon the standards of the society we live in. On the other hand, with his publication of his magnum opus “The Wealth of Nations” in 1776, Adam Smith disputed the system of mercantilism, which during his time period was known as the best economic theory; instead, Adam Smith