The Very Best Short Summary of Adam Smith’s Life and Work
Gavin Kennedy has linked to an interesting review of Adam Smith’s life… enjoy!
Click Here To Read: The Very Best Short Summary of Adam Smith’s Life and Work
Introduction (Via Adam Smith Lost Legacy)
Chris Berry, Professor of Political Theory at University of Glasgow is a leading expert on the life and work of one of the University of Glasgow’s most famous academics, Adam Smith.
He has created a 10 minute talk , published by the University of Glasgow, that describes the making of the man, the global significance of his writing and explains why Smith’s work still resonates with us today:
Excerpt (Via Adam Smith Lost Legacy)
“ADAM SMITH IN 10 MINUTES”
“Adam Smith was born in Kirkcaldy in 1723. He entered Glasgow University at the early – but for the time not unusual – age of fourteen.
He studied logic, metaphysics, maths and later Newtonian physics and moral philosophy under some of the leading scholars of the day. In 1740 Smith was awarded a Snell Scholarship (which is still in existence today) to study at Balliol College, Oxford. Smith preferred Glasgow, however, because Oxford’s curriculum was antiquated and he thought the teachers were lazy since, in contrast to Glasgow, their salary did not depend on the number of students taught.
After a period of freelance lecturing, Smith returned to Glasgow University, first as Professor of Logic in 1751 and then a year later as Professor of Moral Philosophy, a post he held until he left academia in 1764.
The mid-eighteenth century saw a period of intense intellectual activity, known as the Scottish Enlightenment. Universities were key players in this outburst of enquiry, with Glasgow a major force. Smith himself is of course the figure of overwhelming historical significance. But he was not alone. Smith’s fellow professoriate included pioneering chemists William Cullen and Joseph Black, as well as engineer and inventor James Watt who also worked at the University). Another historically important figure is a pupil of Smith’s, John Millar. Who became Professor of Jurisprudence and the author of a key work in what we would call historical sociology.
Click Here To Read: The Very Best Short Summary of Adam Smith’s Life and Work
