Evaluating Adam Smith (Routledge Studies in the History of Economics)

188 Pages·2006·0.83 MB·English

by  W. Henderson

Evaluating Adam Smith
Adam Smith is well recognised as the forefather of modern economics and his
success can be attributed not only to what he wrote but also for his use of the
language. In this new book, Willie Henderson shows how Smith engaged
creatively in writing about the economy and analyses the extent to which he tried
to ensure that the reader is drawn into the text and informed by it.
The book demonstrates methods of undertaking analysis in ways that are
helpful to new researchers on the works of Adam Smith. Evaluating Adam Smith
sets Smith’s work in the cultural context of the eighteenth century and explores
the lexical and conceptual inter-relations between Smith and the sources he
consulted. Issues explored include Smith’s use of irony and his work in the
context of wealth, virtue and happiness as presented in the Moral Sentimentsand
theWealth of Nations.
This study employs the literary techniques of close reading and close textual
analysis and applies them to sustained passages of Smith’s writing.
Willie Hendersonwas until recently Professor of Continuing Education/Director
of the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of Birmingham, UK. In
February 2006 he took up the post of Director of the Alworth Institute, University
of Minnesota Duluth in the United States of America.
Routledge Studies in the History of Economics
1 Economics as Literature 8 The History of Game
Willie Henderson Theory,Vol 1
From the beginnings to 1945
2 Socialism and Marginalism in Robert W. Dimand and Mary Ann
Economics 1870–1930 Dimand
Edited by Ian Steedman
9 The Economics of
3 Hayek’s Political W.S.Jevons
Economy Sandra Peart
The socio-economics of order
Steve Fleetwood 10 Gandhi’s Economic Thought
Ajit K. Dasgupta
4 On the Origins of Classical
Economics 11 Equilibrium and Economic
Distribution and value from Theory
William Petty to Adam Smith Edited by Giovanni Caravale
Tony Aspromourgos
12 Austrian Economics in Debate
5 The Economics of Joan Edited by Willem Keizer, Bert
Robinson Tieben and Rudy van Zijp
Edited by Maria Cristina
Marcuzzo, Luigi Pasinetti and 13 Ancient Economic Thought
Alesandro Roncaglia Edited by B. B. Price
6 The Evolutionist Economics 14 The Political Economy of Social
ofLéon Walras Credit and Guild Socialism
Albert Jolink Frances Hutchinson and Brian
Burkitt
7 Keynes and the ‘Classics’
A study in language, 15 Economic Careers
epistemology and mistaken Economics and economists in
identities Britain 1930–1970
Michel Verdon Keith Tribe
16 Understanding ‘Classical’ 25 Marx’s Concept of Money
Economics The god of commodities
Studies in the long-period theory Anitra Nelson
Heinz Kurz and Neri Salvadori
26 The Economics of James
17 History of Environmental Steuart
Economic Thought Edited by Ramón Tortajada
E. Kula
27 The Development of
18 Economic Thought in Economics in Europe
Communist and Since 1945
Post-Communist Europe Edited by A. W. Bob Coats
Edited by Hans-Jürgen Wagener
28 The Canon in the History of
19 Studies in the History of Economics
FrenchPolitical Economy Critical essays
From Bodin to Walras Edited by Michalis
Edited by Gilbert Faccarello Psalidopoulos
20 The Economics of John Rae 29 Money and Growth
Edited by O. F. Hamouda, C. Lee Selected papers of Allyn Abbott
and D. Mair Young
Edited by Perry G. Mehrling and
21 Keynes and the Neoclassical Roger J. Sandilands
Synthesis
Einsteinian versus Newtonian 30 The Social Economics of
macroeconomics Jean-Baptiste Say
Teodoro Dario Togati Markets and virtue
Evelyn L. Forget
22 Historical Perspectives on
Macroeconomics 31 The Foundations of
Sixty years after the ‘General Laissez-Faire
Theory’ The economics of Pierre de
Edited by Philippe Fontaine and Boisguilbert
Albert Jolink Gilbert Faccarello
23 The Founding of Institutional 32 John Ruskin’s Political
Economics Economy
The leisure class and sovereignty Willie Henderson
Edited by Warren J. Samuels
33 Contributions to the History of
24 Evolution of Austrian Economic Thought
Economics Essays in honour of RDC Black
From Menger to Lachmann Edited by Antoin E. Murphy and
Sandye Gloria Renee Prendergast
34 Towards an Unknown Marx 42 Piero Sraffa’s Political Economy
A commentary on the A centenary estimate
manuscripts of 1861–63 Edited by Terenzio Cozzi and
Enrique Dussel Roberto Marchionatti
35 Economics and 43 The Contribution of Joseph
Interdisciplinary Exchange Schumpeter to Economics
Edited by Guido Erreygers Economic development and
institutional change
36 Economics as the Art of Richard Arena and Cecile Dangel
Thought
Essays in memory of 44 On the Development of
G. L. S. Shackle Long-run Neo-classical
Edited by Peter E. Earl and Theory
Stephen F. Frowen Tom Kompas
37 The Decline of Ricardian 45 F.A.Hayek as a Political
Economics Economist
Politics and economics in Economic analysis and values
Post-Ricardian theory Edited by Jack Birner, Pierre
Susan Pashkoff Garrouste and Thierry Aimar
38 Piero Sraffa 46 Pareto,Economics and
His life, thought and cultural Society
heritage The mechanical analogy
Alessandro Roncaglia Michael McLure
39 Equilibrium and 47 The Cambridge Controversies
Disequilibrium in in Capital Theory
EconomicTheory A study in the logic of theory
The Marshall–Walras divide development
Michel de Vroey Jack Birner
40 The German Historical 48 Economics Broadly
School Considered
The historical and ethical Essays in honor of Warren
approach to economics J.Samuels
Edited by Yuichi Shionoya Edited by Steven G. Medema,
JeffBiddle and John B. Davis
41 Reflections on the Classical
Canon in Economics 49 Physicians and Political
Essays in honor of Samuel Economy
Hollander Six studies of the work of
Edited by Sandra Peart and doctor–economists
Evelyn Forget Edited by Peter Groenewegen
50 The Spread of Political 57 Classics and Moderns in
Economy and the Economics Volume I
Professionalisation of Essays on nineteenth and
Economists twentieth century economic
Economic societies in Europe, thought
America and Japan in the Peter Groenewegen
nineteenth century
Massimo Augello and Marco 58 Classics and Moderns in
Guidi Economics Volume II
Essays on nineteenth and
51 Historians of Economics and twentieth century economic
Economic Thought thought
The construction of disciplinary Peter Groenewegen
memory
Steven G. Medema and 59 Marshall’s Evolutionary
Warren J. Samuels Economics
Tiziano Raffaelli
52 Competing Economic
Theories 60 Money,Time and Rationality
Essays in memory of inMax Weber
GiovanniCaravale Austrian connections
Sergio Nisticò and Stephen D. Parsons
DomenicoTosato
61 Classical Macroeconomics
53 Economic Thought and Policy Some modern variations and
in Less Developed Europe distortions
The 19thcentury James C.W. Ahiakpor
Edited by Michalis Psalidopoulos
and Maria-Eugenia Almedia 62 The Historical School of
Mata Economics in England and
Japan
54 Family Fictions and Family Tamotsu Nishizawa
Facts
Harriet Martineau, Adolphe 63 Classical Economics and
Quetelet and the population Modern Theory
question in England 1798–1859 Studies in long-period
Brian Cooper analysis
Heinz D. Kurz and
55 Eighteeth-Century Economics Neri Salvadori
Peter Groenewegen
64 A Bibliography of Female
56 The Rise of Political Economy Economic Thought
in the Scottish Enlightenment up to 1940
Edited by Tatsuya Sakamoto and Kirsten K. Madden, Janet A. Sietz
Hideo Tanaka and Michele Pujol
65 Economics,Economists and 73 Knut Wicksell on Poverty
Expectations No place is too exalted
From microfoundations to Knut Wicksell
macroeconomics
Warren Young, Robert Leeson and 74 Economists in Cambridge
William Darity Jnr A study through their
correspondence 1907–1946
66 The Political Economy Edited by M.C. Marcuzzo and
of Public Finance in Britain, A.Rosselli
1767–1873
Takuo Dome 75 The Experiment in the History
of Economics
67 Essays in the History of Edited by Philippe Fontaine and
Economics Robert Leonard
Warren J. Samuels, Willie
Henderson, Kirk D. Johnson and 76 At the Origins of Mathematical
Marianne Johnson Economics
The Economics of A.N. Isnard
68 History and Political Economy (1748–1803)
Essays in honour of Richard van den Berg
P.D.Groenewegen
Edited by Tony Aspromourgos and 77 Money and Exchange
John Lodewijks Folktales and reality
Sasan Fayazmanesh
69 The Tradition of Free Trade
Lars Magnusson 78 Economic Development and
Social Change
70 Evolution of the Market Process Historical roots and modern
Austrian and Swedish economics perspectives
Edited by Michel Bellet, Sandye George Stathakis and
Gloria-Palermo and Abdallah GianniVaggi
Zouache
79 Ethical Codes and Income
71 Consumption as an Investment Distribution
The fear of goods from Hesiod to A study of John Bates Clark and
Adam Smith Thorstein Veblen
Cosimo Perrotta Guglielmo Forges Davanzati
72 Jean-Baptiste Say and the 80 Evaluating Adam Smith
Classical Canon in Economics Creating the wealth of nations
The British connection in French Willie Henderson
classicism
Samuel Hollander
Evaluating Adam Smith
Creating the wealth of nations
Willie Henderson
First published 2006
by Routledge
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Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
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© 2006 Willie Henderson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
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ISBN10: 0–415–33668–6
ISBN13: 978–0–415–33668–0
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