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Metaphysics in Adam Smith's economic theory
OBERGRUBER, Petr
Adam Smith is known as the founder of economics, especially for his concept of the division of labour and the metaphor of the invisible hand of the market. However, Smith was not an economist but a philosopher of ethics. In addition to his most famous work, The Wealth of Nations, he is the author of the equally important, but much less well-known, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, where he explores the themes of cooperation, social harmony, and the natural order. Smith's view of man, society, and the world was significantly influenced by Stoic philosophy. At the same time, he adopts much of David Hume's philosophy, especially his Newtonian understanding of the world. In this thesis, I explore these and other influences on Smith's philosophy and, indirectly, on his economic thought.
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