An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- Clean text · 4 illegible passages, excluded from answers
- Extent:
- ~400,000 words · 1,899 passages
Cite this work
- APAAdam Smith. (n.d.). An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/adam-smith/an-inquiry-into-the-nature-and-causes-of-the-wealth-of-nations
- MLAAdam Smith. "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/adam-smith/an-inquiry-into-the-nature-and-causes-of-the-wealth-of-nations.
- ChicagoAdam Smith. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/adam-smith/an-inquiry-into-the-nature-and-causes-of-the-wealth-of-nations.
What it is about
A treatise on how a country's wealth is produced and distributed, which opens by explaining why dividing labour multiplies what can be made.
Context and history
Smith was professor of moral philosophy at Glasgow and worked on the book for more than ten years, including the time he spent in France among the Physiocrats. It appeared in March 1776, the year of American independence. The image of the 'invisible hand', cited as though it were his central thesis, occurs exactly once in it.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith Contents INTRODUCTION AND PLAN OF THE WORK. BOOK I. OF THE CAUSES OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE PRODUCTIVE POWERS OF LABOUR, AND OF THE ORDER ACCORDING TO WHICH ITS PRODUCE IS NATURALLY DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE DIFFERENT RANKS OF THE PEOPLE. CHAPTER I. OF THE DIVISION OF LABOUR. CHAPTER II. OF THE PRINCIPLE WHICH GIVES OCCASION TO THE DIVISION OF LABOUR. CHAPTER III. THAT THE DIVISION OF LABOUR IS LIMITED BY THE EXTENT OF THE MARKET. CHAPTER IV. OF THE ORIGIN AND USE OF MONEY. CHAPTER V. OF THE REAL AND NOMINAL PRICE OF COMMODITIES, OR OF THEIR PRICE IN LABOUR, AND THEIR PRICE IN MONEY. CHAPTER VI. OF THE COMPONENT PART OF THE PRICE OF COMMODITIES. CHAPTER VII. OF THE NATURAL AND MARKET PRICE OF COMMODITIES. CHAPTER VIII. OF THE WAGES OF LABOUR. CHAPTER IX. OF THE PROFITS OF STOCK. CHAPTER X. OF WAGES AND PROFIT IN THE DIFFERENT EMPLOYMENTS OF LABOUR AND STOCK. CHAPTER XI. OF THE RENT OF LAND. BOOK II. OF THE NATURE, ACCUMULATION, AND EMPLOYMENT OF STOCK. CHAPTER I. OF THE DIVISION OF STOCK. CHAPTER II. OF MONEY, CONSIDERED AS A PARTICULAR BRANCH OF THE GENERAL STOCK OF THE SOCIETY, OR OF THE EXPENSE OF MAINTAINING THE NATIONAL CAPITAL. CHAPTER III. OF THE ACCUMULATION OF CAPITAL, OR OF PRODUCTIVE AND UNPRODUCTIVE LABOUR. CHAPTER IV. OF STOCK LENT AT INTEREST. CHAPTER V. OF THE DIFFERENT EMPLOYMENTS OF CAPITALS. BOOK III. OF THE DIFFERENT PROGRESS OF OPULENCE IN DIFFERENT NATIONS CHAPTER I. OF THE NATURAL PROGRESS OF OPULENCE. CHAPTER II. OF THE DISCOURAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN THE ANCIENT STATE OF EUROPE, AFTER THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. CHAPTER III. OF THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF CITIES AND TOWNS, AFTER THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. CHAPTER IV. HOW THE COMMERCE OF TOWNS CONTRIBUTED TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE COUNTRY. BOOK IV. OF SYSTEMS OF POLITICAL ECONOMY. CHAPTER I. OF THE PRINCIPLE OF THE COMMERCIAL OR MERCANTILE SYSTEM. CHAPTER II. OF RESTRAINTS UPON
What is An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations about?Summarize An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations brieflyWhat are the key ideas in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations?