About Adam Smith: Adam Smith was a British moral philosopher, pioneer of political economy, and key Scottish Enlightenment figure.
It is not by augmenting the capital of the country, but by rendering a greater part of that capital active and productive than would otherwise be so, that the most judicious operations of banking can increase the industry of the country.
Consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production; and the interest of the producer ought to be attended to, only so far as it may be necessary for promoting that of the consumer.
Civil government, so far as it is instituted for the security of property, is in reality instituted for the defense of the rich against the poor, or of those who have some property against those who have none at all.
To attempt to increase the wealth of any country, either by introducing or by detaining in it an unnecessary quantity of gold and silver, is as absurd as it would be to attempt to increase the good cheer of private families by obliging them to keep a...
What is prudence in the conduct of every private family can scarce be folly in that of a great kingdom.
The great secret of education is to direct vanity to proper objects.
In the common degree of the moral, there is no virtue. Virtue is excellence.
How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it.
I have always considered David Hume as approaching as nearly the idea of a perfectly wise and virtuous man as perhaps the nature of human frailty will allow.
No society can surely be flourishing and happy of which by far the greater part of the numbers are poor and miserable.
