| Edition |
Libert Fund ed. |
| Description |
2 v. (viii, 1081 p.) ; 23 cm. |
| Series |
The Glasgow edition of the works and correspondence of Adam Smith ; 2 |
|
Smith, Adam, 1723-1790.
Works. 1981.
|
| Note |
Reprint. Originally published: Oxford : Clarendon Press ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1979. |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. |
| Contents |
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 Parts 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 --- Part I. Inequalities arising from the Nature of the Employments themselves -- Part II. Inequalities occasioned by the Policy of Europe -- CHAPTER XI. Of the Rent of Land --- Part I. Of the Produce of Land which always affords Rent --- Part II. Of the Produce of Land which sometimes does, and sometimes does not, afford Rent --- Part III. Of the Variations in the Proportion between the respective Values of that Sort of Produce which always affords Rent, and of that which sometimes does, and sometimes does not, afford Rent -- Digression concerning the Variations in the Value of Silver during the Course of the Four last Centuries -- First Period -- Second Period -- Third Period -- Variations in the Proportion between the respective Values of Gold and Silver -- Grounds of the Suspicion that the Value of Silver still continues to decrease -- Different Effects of the Progress of Improvement upon the real Price of three different Sorts of rude Produce -- First Sort -- Second Sort -- Third Sort -- Conclusion of the Digression concerning the Variations in the Value of Silver -- Effects of the Progress of Improvement upon the real Price of Manufactures -- Conclusion of the Chapter ---- BOOK II. Of the Nature, Accumulation, and Employment of Stock -- INTRODUCTION -- 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 Expence 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 Employment 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 antient 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 the Towns contributed to the Impovement of the Country ---- |
|
BOOK IV. Of Systems of political economy -- INTRODUCTION -- CHAPTER I. Of the Principle of the commercial, or mercantile System -- CHAPTER II. Of Restraints upon the Importation from foreign Countries of such Goods as can be produced at Home -- CHAPTER III. Of the extraordinary Restraints upon the Importation of Goods of almost all Kinds, from those Countries with which the Balance is supposed to be disadvantageous -- Part I. Of the Unreasonableness of those Restraints even upon the Principles of the Commercial System -- Digression concerning Banks of Deposit, particularly concerning that of Amsterdam --- Part II. Of the Unreasonableness of those extraordinary Restraints upon other Principles -- CHAPTER IV. Of Drawbacks -- CHAPTER V. Of Bounties -- Digression concerning the Corn Trade and Corn Laws -- CHAPTER VI. Of Treaties of Commerce -- CHAPTER VII. Of Colonies --- Part I. Of the Motives for establishing new Colonies --- Part II. Causes of the Prosperity of new Colonies --- Part III. Of the Advantages which Europe has derived from the Discovery of America, and from that of a Passage to the East Indies by the Cape of Good Hope -- CHAPTER VIII. Conclusion of the Mercantile System -- CHAPTER IX. Of the agricultural Systems, or of those Systems of political Oeconomy, which represent the Produce of Land, as either the sole or the principal Source of the Revenue and Wealth of every Country --- BOOK V. Of the Revenue of the Sovereign or Commonwealth -- CHAPTER I. Of the Expences of the Sovereign or Commonwealth --- Part I. Of the Expence of Defence --- Part II. Of the Expence of Justice --- Part III. Of the Expence of publick Works and publick Institutions -- Of the Publick Works and Institutions for facilitating the Commerce of the Society. And, first, of those which are necessary for facilitating Commerce in general -- Of the Publick Works and Institutions which are necessary for facilitating particular Branches of Commerce -- Article 2d. Of the Expence of the Institutions for the Education of Youth -- Article 3d. Of the Expence of the Institutions for the Instruction of People of all Ages --- Part IV. Of the Expence of supporting the Dignity of the Sovereign --- Conclusion of the Chapter -- CHAPTER II. Of the Sources of the general or public Revenue of the Society --- Part I. Of the Funds or Sources of Revenue which may peculiarly belong to the Sovereign or Commonwealth --- Part II. Of Taxes --- Article 1st. Taxes upon Rent; Taxes upon the Rent of Land -- Taxes which are proportioned, not to the Rent, but to the Produce of Land -- Taxes upon the Rent of Houses -- Article 2d. Taxes upon Profit, or upon the Revenue arising from Stock -- Taxes upon the Profit of particular Employments --- Appendix to Articles 1st and 2d. Taxes upon the Capital Value of Lands, Houses, and Stock -- Article 3d. Taxes upon the Wages of Labour -- Article 4th. Taxes which, it is intended, should fall indifferently upon every different Species of Revenue Capitation Taxes -- Taxes upon consumable Commodities -- CHAPTER III. Of public Debts. |
| Summary |
First published in 1776, the year in which the American Revolution officially began, Smith's Wealth of Nations sparked a revolution of its own. In it Smith analyzes the major elements of political economy, from market pricing and the division of labor to monetary, tax, trade, and other government policies that affect economic behavior. Throughout he offers seminal arguments for free trade, free markets, and limited government. Criticizing mercantilists who sought to use the state to increase their nations' supply of precious metals, Smith points out that a nation's wealth should be measured by the well-being of its people. Prosperity in turn requires voluntary exchange of goods in a peaceful, well-ordered market. How to establish and maintain such markets? For Smith the answer lay in man's social instincts, which government may encourage by upholding social standards of decency, honesty, and virtue, but which government undermines when it unduly interferes with the intrinsically private functions of production and exchange. Social and economic order arise from the natural desires to better one's (and one's family's) lot and to gain the praise and avoid the censure of one's neighbors and business associates. Individuals behave decently and honestly because it gives them a clear conscience as well as the good reputation necessary for public approbation and sustained, profitable business relations. |
| Subject |
Economics.
|
| Added Author |
Campbell, R. H. (Roy Hutcheson)
|
|
Skinner, Andrew S.
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| ISBN |
0865970084 (pbk. : set) : $10.00 |
|
9780865970083 (pbk. : set) |
|
0865970068 (pbk. : v. 1) |
|
0865970076 (pbk. : v. 2) |
|
