Speaking of Smith Archives

Adam Smith on the Emergent Meaning of “Stuff”

November 18, 2020


While it’s not in the nature of Smith to wax too philosophical over human meaning, I think his treatment of property, combined with the themes of
spontaneous order and emergent meaning that thread their way throughout his work, can help us come to terms with and understand the role that property or “stuff” plays in our lives and why it matters.