Speaking of Smith Archives

Did Adam Smith Promote Usury?

July 7, 2022

"Smith is advocating for the dispersion of capital, not its consolidation. If his system is working on behalf of someone, it certainly is not for the oligarch."

What Adam Smith Ate – Potatoes

July 5, 2022

Whether you're commenting on the best source of nourishment for day laborers (as Adam Smith did) or trying to figure out what to do with your leftovers, the Scottish classic Rumbledethump made with mashed or “rumbled” potatoes is a perfect choice.

Dear Adam Smith: Besieged Bookworm

June 28, 2022

"Who's right? My mom or me?" asks a Besieged Bookworm whose mom wants to control her reading. Adam Smith shares his advice on reading things that might make you uneasy or sad.

Adam Smith and Owning It with The Mystery of the Invisible Hand

June 23, 2022

How can teachers introduce their students to Adam Smith's insights with less eye rolling and more engaged learning? Lauren Heller suggests using a little mystery, The Mystery of the Invisible Hand by Marshall Jevons, that is.

Father's Day Advice from Adam Smith

June 18, 2022

"[C]ultivating indifference to ourselves and those closest to us causes us not only to fail in our domestic roles in a way that displeases the spectator, but also to lose the ability to feel for the more distant strangers we might come into contact with as travel and technology shrink the world."

What Adam Smith Ate: Cheese

June 16, 2022

Adam Smith wrote “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.” He could have added the cheesemonger, too...

Adam Smith and the Economic Concept of Repugnance

June 14, 2022

Some kinds of transactions are repugnant in some times and places and not in others. In Smith, there is an empiricist and practical morality, which could change.

#ReadWithMe: Ritchie Robertson’s The Enlightenment: Science Goes Public

June 9, 2022

Early in the Enlightenment, science was still haunted by the specter of charlatanry, and scientists were keen to demystify science. The Royal Society came into existence, illustrating the emphasis on community and conversation.

Dear Adam Smith: Resentment

June 7, 2022

Feeling Resentful at Work? Before you quit in a fit, let Adam Smith offer some advice.

What Would Adam Smith Think? The Causes and Consequences of the Great Resignation

June 2, 2022

The pandemic illuminated many "insufficient encouragements." Many workers realized their skill sets are better leverage than before. People choosing to quit are acting in their self-interest and that’s a good thing.

What Adam Smith Ate: Scotch Broth

May 31, 2022

"Soups were practical because they were the perfect way to cook vegetables with broth even if there was no meat in the house. Barley, oats, or potatoes could make a soup hearty. Cooks could also add fish or meat to go along with the root vegetables plentiful in Scotland." This version can be made with lamb shank, lamb shoulder, bone-in beef shoulder, or oxtail.

#ReadWithMe: Ritchie Robertson’s The Enlightenment: The Pursuit of Happiness

May 26, 2022

For Robertson, the Enlightenment is characterized by that now famous phrase, “the pursuit of happiness,” alongside a recognition and expansion of our notion of human sociality. In his view, human sociality is a vital characteristic to understanding any enlightenment project.