Prompt: Self-interest and prudence

moral philosophy invisible hand quotes virtue economics prudence adam smith for high school history high school social justice economic history self interest classroom resources social studies

Self-interested behavior, according to Smith, encourages the virtue of prudence. This quotation can be used to launch a discussion into what constitutes prudence, whether self-interested behavior really does encourage it, and what personal prudence might do for society as a whole. 

• Click the hyperlinked quotation (for example, look for something like (WN 1.ii.2) to see the quotation in the context of the full text. 
  • Use the "Find" feature in the left-hand menu to search for the first few words in the quotation and see it in context. 
  • Alternatively, click on "Contents" to find the relevant chapter of the text. "WN 1.ii.2" is Wealth of Nations Book 1, chapter 2. "TMS I.iii.1.7" is The Theory of Moral Sentiments Book 1, chapter 3, section 1.
    (The last number in the citation refers to the paragraph in the section.)
• Where available, click "Click here for more about this quotation" to visit a short article about the passage in question. 
• Speaking notes suggest topics for discussion when using each quotation.  

“Every individual is continually exerting himself to find out the most advantageous employment for whatever capital he can command. It is his own advantage, indeed, and not that of the society, which he has in view. But the study of his own advantage naturally, or rather necessarily leads him to prefer that employment which is most advantageous to the society.” (WN IV.ii.4)