Adam Smith And His Influence On American Society Essay

Introduction Since the early days of the United States, the Founding Fathers and other brilliant minds sought ways to understand and make sense of the inner workings of society and the economic market. Out of the many thinkers and developers of that time period, perhaps none made so great an impact on American society as the Scottish contemporary philosopher and political economist, Adam Smith—who is most known for his influential work, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, By the early nineteenth century, other streams of economic theory emerged from various individuals who were also influenced by the ideas of Smith. Some of these individuals included David Ricardo, Karl Marx and later John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman—each of whom contributed their own ideas on economic activity. However, it was Smith’s ideas on capitalism and his laissez-faire approach to free markets that have transcended other economic theories and continue to impact Amer ican economic thought to this day. Early Life Much more is known about Adam Smith’s thoughts and ideas than about his personal life. Smith was born in a small village in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. Although his birthdate is unknown, Smith was baptized on June 5, 1723, which is the earliest date most historians cite for his humble beginnings. He was the son of Adam Smith, a comptroller in the small fishing village with a population of about 1,500 people. At the age of fourteen, he attended the University ofShow MoreRelatedThe Implications to the Pursuit of Prosperity1770 Words   |  7 Pagesinsurrections ever to rock western society. The Industrial Revolution, namely, brought industrialization to new heights while the American and the French Revolutions combatted monarchy successfully establishing democratic governments. 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