Reading, Interpreting and Understanding Adam Smith’s Economics: Some Problems and Solutions

Rod O’Donnell

History of Economics Review, 2025, vol. 90, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Adam Smith is one of the most interesting, intriguing, and discussed economists in the history of economic thought whose writings generate divergent views. Orthodox economists cast him as the ‘father of (Neoclassical) economics’; heterodox economists see him as a major political economist; while others see him as some combination thereof. These differences are linked to the ways in which his texts are read, interpreted and understood. This paper discusses several problems in this domain, and offers solutions based on careful readings of his texts, the meanings of his terms, and logical analysis.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/10370196.2025.2510755

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