SMITH ADAM (1723-1790). Économiste et philosophe écossais.

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SMITH ADAM (1723-1790). Économiste et philosophe écossais.
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. London: W. Strahan & T. Cadell, 1776. Two volumes, in-4 format, [XI] - 510 + 587 pp., with the halftitle in vol. 2, final blank leaf in vol. 1, bookseller’s (John Donaldson) and publisher’s (Thomas Cadell) advertisement leaves on final recto and verso in volume 1 and on final verso in volume 2, and, as often, cancels M3, Q1 U3, 2Z3, 3A4 and 3O4 in volume 1, and D1 and 3Z4 in volume 2. Contemporary (Scottish?) polished calf, back sewn on 5 bands, gilt-tooled spine, title and label pieces in red and green leather, gilt lettering, yellow-stained edges (Joints cracked and very weak, spines worn at head and foot, boards rubbed, corners worn; some spotting and foxing especially towards the end of vol. 2, nonetheless overall crisp copy; fitted contemporary box, imitating the binding, leather torn from first title-piece with loss of lettering on box (box very worn, in need of restoration). Dimensions: 280 x 207 mm. First edition of the “fi rst and greatest classic of modern economic thought” (Printing and the Mind of Man, no. 221). Smith’s is the fi rst major expression of the theory of free trade. Exalted equally as a compassionate conservative and sympathetic liberal, Smith propounds individual liberty and the accumulation of wealth, while arguing strongly for moral fairness and a duty to society. He describes a system of natural liberty and justice which strives towards improvement in the living standards of the population at large, equating higher wages with a healthier and more productive workforce. He expounds the belief that the limits to growth are political, not economic, and he sets out principles to guide legislators. Smith also provides a history of economic theory, an historical analysis of the wealth of nations, including China, and forecasts for the future A central fi gure of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith gave up his chair at the University of Glasgow
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