Born in Scotland in 1723, Adam Smith studied in Glasgow and then Oxford before becoming the holder of a chair in philosophy at the University of Glasgow. Inspired by the philosophy of the Enlightenment and that of David Hume more precisely, he published in 1759 his Théorie sur les sentiments morales . He travels through Europe and notably meets Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire and François Quesnay in Paris. The latter is one of the main sources of inspiration for Smith. His thesis is based in particular on the importance of agriculture in the production of wealth and the principle of laissez-faire laissez-passer in economics.
It was then that Adam Smith wrote his reference work in economics:Research on the causes and nature of the wealth of nations in 1776. He poses as one of the founding fathers of economic liberalism with his famous metaphor of the "invisible hand" - or the idea that the market would regulate itself. He influenced many economists such as Ricardo, Malthus or J. Stuart Mill. Died in 1790, he remains today one of the great names in classical economic thought.
1723 - 1790
Status
Economist
Philosopher