The Theory of Moral Sentiments

Adam Smith was born in Scotland, in 1723, and received his early education at the local burgh school. He subsequently attended Glasgow University (1737-1740), and Balliol College, Oxford (1740-1746). Two years after his return to Scotland, Smith moved to Edinburgh, where he delivered lectures on Rhetoric. In 1751 Smith was appointed Professor of Logic at Glasgow, but was translated to chair of Moral Philosophy in 1752. The Theory of Moral Sentiments was published in 1759, and The Wealth of Nations in 1776, the same year as the Declaration of Independence. 
 
Amartya Sen is a Nobel Prize-winning economist, known for his work on the way economics affects the well-being of humans. Formerly the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, Sen is now Lamont University Professor at Harvard University, and divides his time between Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Cambridge, England. His books include Development as Freedom, Identity and Violence, and The Idea of Justice. 
 
Ryan Patrick Hanley is the author of Adam Smith and the Character of Virtue. An assistant professor of political science at Marquette University, he has been the recipient of fellowships from the Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Best known for his revolutionary free-market economics treatise The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith was first and foremost a moral philosopher. In his first book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, he investigated the flip side of economic self-interest: the interest of the greater good. Smith's classic work advances ideas about conscience, moral judgement and virtue that have taken on renewed importance in business and politics.

The Invisible Hand

'It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest'  Adam Smith

Adam Smith (1723 - 1790) was born in Glasgow and after being educated in Glasgow and Oxford, he held a number of academic posts before becoming tutor to the young Duke of Buccleuch. This post took him to France where he began writing his political treatise, The Wealth of Nations.

Adam Smith&rsquo;s landmark treatise on the free market paved the way for modern capitalism, arguing that competition is the engine of a productive society, and that self-interest will eventually come to enrich the whole community, as if by an &lsquo;invisible hand&rsquo;. 
 
Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves &ndash; and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives &ndash; and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

Books IV-V

The Wealth of Nations

The second part of Adam Smith's economic theory, stating the argument for free trade

Adam Smith (1723-1790) was born in Glasgow and after being educated in Glasgow and Oxford, he held a number of academic posts before becoming tutor to the young Duke of Buccleuch. This post took him to France where he began writing his political treatise, THE WEALTH OF NATIONS. 
Andrew S. Skinner is Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy, Emeritus at Glasgow University and has published widely on Adam Smith and is the editor of the first three volumes of THE WEALTH OF NATIONS for Penguin.

Smith's THE WEALTH OF NATIONS was the first comprehensive treatment of political economy.  Originally delivered in the form of lectures at Glasgow, the book's publication in 1776 co-incided with America's Declaration of Independence. These volumes include Smith's assessment of the mercantile system, his advocacy of the freedom of commerce and industry, and his famous prophecy that "America will be one of the foremost nations of the world".

Books I-III

Originally delivered in the form of lectures at Glasgow, Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations Books I-III laid the foundations of economic theory in general and 'classical' economics in particular, and this Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction and notes by Andrew Skinner. 
 
The publication of The Wealth of Nations in 1776 coincided with America's Declaration of Independence, and with this landmark treatise on political economy, Adam Smith paved the way for modern capitalism, arguing that a truly free market - fired by competition yet guided as if by an 'invisible hand' to ensure justice and equality - was the engine of a fair and productive society. Books I - III of The Wealth of Nations examine the 'division of labour' as the key to economic growth, by ensuring the interdependence of individuals within society. They also cover the origins of money and the importance of wages, profit, rent and stocks; but the real sophistication of his analysis derives from the fact that it encompasses a combination of ethics, philosophy and history to create a vast panorama of society. 
 
This edition contains an analytical introduction offering an in-depth discussion of Smith as an economist and social scientist, as well as a preface, further reading and explanatory notes. 
 
Adam Smith (1723-90) was born in Glasgow and educated at Glasgow and Oxford. Two years after his return to Scotland, Smith moved to Edinburgh, where he delivered lectures on Rhetoric. In 1751 Smith was appointed Professor of Logic at Glasgow, but was translated to chair of Moral Philosophy in 1752. The Theory of Moral Sentiments was published in 1759, and The Wealth of Nations in 1776, the same year as the Declaration of Independence. 
 
If you enjoyed The Wealth of Nations, you might like Karl Marx's Capital, also available in Penguin Classics.

Adam Smith (1723-90) taught both logic and moral philosophy at Glasgow University. His Wealth of Nations revolutionised the economic theories of the time. Andrew Skinner teaches at the Adam Smith Institute and is an expert on the author's work.

Smith's THE WEALTH OF NATIONS was the first comprehensive treatment of political economy.  Originally delivered in the form of lectures at Glasgow, the book's publication in 1776 co-incided with America's Declaration of Independence. These volumes include Smith's assessment of the mercantile system, his advocacy of the freedom of commerce and industry, and his famous prophecy that &quot;America will be one of the foremost nations of the world&quot;.

The Wealth Of Nations

The finest editions available of the world's greatest classics from Homer to Achebe, Tolstoy to Ishiguro, Proust to Pullman, printed on a fine acid-free, cream-wove paper that will not discolour with age, with sewn, full cloth bindings and silk ribbon markers, and at remarkably low prices. All books include substantial introductions by major scholars and contemporary writers, and comparative chronologies of literary and historical context.

Published in the same year as the American Declaration of Independence, The Wealth of Nations has had an equally great impact on the course of modern history. Adam Smith’s celebrated defence of free market economics is notable also as one of the Enlightenment’s most eloquent testaments to the sanctity of the individual in his relations to the state.

Adam Smith

A must-read for fight fans... brings a unique perspective to boxing. Smith's exhaustive research is illuminated by his myriad contacts in the fight business and his close affection for boxers and their families

Boxing. The Sport of Kings. And for every king, there are kingmakers and princes, determined heirs and ruthless pretenders to the throne. Boxers may enter the ring alone, but behind them are their families, many of whom have spent a career in the fight game themselves. And all are caught up in this most beautiful but brutal of sports. 
 
Beautiful Brutality is the first book to examine the world of boxing from the perspective of family. With unprecedented access to the likes of the Calzaghes, Mayweathers, Hattons and Khans, Sky Sports boxing expert Adam Smith lays bare the raw emotion at the heart of the sport. How does it feel when your son is taking a pummelling? Can a father make rational judgements from the corner of the ring, in the frenzied atmosphere of a fight? And how much strength does a boxer take from his family, or the family figures that so many trainers and promoters become? 
 
Passionate, hard-hitting and with astonishing revelations about the world of boxing, Beautiful Brutality is written from the heart, by an author with a unique knowledge and experience of the fight game.

Adam Smith

Praise for Beautiful Brutality: The Family Ties at the Heart of Boxing

A must-read for fight fans... brings a unique perspective to boxing. Smith's exhaustive research is illuminated by his myriad contacts in the fight business and his close affection for boxers and their families

A very enjoyable catalogue of our era

An eye-opener

A must-read for fight fans... brings a unique perspective to boxing. Smith's exhaustive research is illuminated by his myriad contacts in the fight business and his close affection for boxers and their families

A very enjoyable catalogue of our era

An eye-opener

A must-read for fight fans... brings a unique perspective to boxing. Smith's exhaustive research is illuminated by his myriad contacts in the fight business and his close affection for boxers and their families

A very enjoyable catalogue of our era

An eye-opener

Books by Adam Smith

Series by Adam Smith

The Wealth of Nations

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter