Adam Smith Quotes - Page 3

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• Beneficence is always free, it cannot be extorted by force.

  Adam Smith

  Force, Beneficence

  Adam Smith (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of Adam Smith (Illustrated)”, p.96, Delphi Classics

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• The world neither ever saw, nor ever will see, a perfectly fair lottery.

  Adam Smith

  World, Saws, Fairs

  Adam Smith, William Playfair (1811). “An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”, p.76

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• The machines that are first invented to perform any particular movement are always the most complex, and succeeding artists generally discover that, with fewer wheels, with fewer principles of motion, than had originally been employed, the same effects may be more easily produced. The first systems, in the same manner, are always the most complex.

  Adam Smith

  Artist, Principles, Machines

  Adam Smith (2016). “The Essays on Philosophical Subjects: the Great Master”, p.460, VM eBooks

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• No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable. It is but equity, besides, that they who feed, clothe and lodge the whole body of the people, should have such a share of the produce of their own labour as to be themselves tolerably well fed, clothed and lodged.

  Adam Smith

  Should Have, People, Body

  Adam Smith (1827). “An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”, p.33

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• A monopoly granted either to an individual or to a trading company has the same effect as a secret in trade or manufactures. The monopolists, by keeping the market constantly understocked, by never fully supplying the effectual demand, sell their commodities much above the natural price, and raise their emoluments, whether they consist in wages or profit, greatly above their natural rate.

  Adam Smith

  Competition, Secret, Demand

  Adam Smith, James R. Otteson (2004). “Adam Smith: Selected Philosophical Writings”, p.114, Imprint Academic

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• Great nations are never impoverished by private, though they sometimes are by public prodigality and misconduct.

  Adam Smith

  Political, Politics, Sometimes

  Adam Smith (2010). “An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”, p.282, Cosimo, Inc.

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• Corn is a necessary, silver is only a superfluity.

  Adam Smith

  Corn, Silver

  Adam Smith, William Playfair (1811). “An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”, p.139

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• As soon as the land of any country has all become private property, the landlords, like all other men, love to reap where they never sowed, and demand a rent even for its natural produce.

  Adam Smith

  Country, Men, Economic Inequality

  Adam Smith (1814). “An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations. With notes, and an additional vol., by D. Buchanan”, p.80

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• I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.

  Adam Smith

  Government, Invisible Hand, Economic Order

  1776 An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, bk.4, ch.3.

  58 Copy quote

• The interest of [businessmen] is always in some respects different from, and even opposite to, that of the public ... The proposal of any new law or regulation of commerce which comes from this order ... ought never to be adopted, till after having been long and carefully examined ... with the most suspicious attention. It comes from an order of men ... who have generally an interest to deceive and even oppress the public.

  Adam Smith

  Men, Order, Law

  "The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith, Chapter XI, Part III, Conclusion of the Chapter, (p. 292), 1776.

  98 Copy quote

• All for ourselves, and nothing for other people, seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind.

  Adam Smith

  People, Age, Libertarian

  Adam Smith (1827). “An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”, p.169

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• Labor was the first price, the original purchase - money that was paid for all things.

  Adam Smith

  Labour Movement, Labor Day, Firsts

  1776 An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, bk.1, ch.5.

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• Nothing but the most exemplary morals can give dignity to a man of small fortune.

  Adam Smith

  Men, Giving, Moral

  Adam Smith (2007). “The Wealth of Nations: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”, p.35, Harriman House Limited

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• In raising the price of commodities, the rise of wages operates in the same manner as simple interest does in the accumulation of debt. Our merchants and master manufacturers complain much of the bad effects of high wages in raising the price, and thereby lessening the sale of their goods, both at home and abroad. They say nothing concerning the bad effects of high profits; they are silent with regard to the pernicious effects of their own gains. They complain only of those of other people.

  Adam Smith

  Philosophy, Simple, People

  "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations".

  89 Copy quote

• With the greater part of rich people, the chief enjoyment of riches consists in the parade of riches.

  Adam Smith

  Life, Success, People

  An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations vol. 1, bk. 1, ch. 11 (1776)

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• Every individual is continually exerting himself to find out the most advantageous employment for whatever capital he can command. It is his own advantage, indeed, and not that of the society which he has in view. But the study of his own advantage naturally, or rather necessarily, leads him to prefer that employment which is most advantageous to society... He intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was not part of his intention

  Adam Smith

  Views, Hands, Invisible Hand

  Adam Smith (2017). “The Wealth of Nations (illustrated)”, p.330, Clap Publishing, LLC.

  109 Copy quote

• We are but one of the multitude, in no respect better than any other in it.

  Adam Smith

  No Respect, Multitudes

  Adam Smith, Robert L. Heilbroner, Laurence J. Malone (1987). “The Essential Adam Smith”, p.107, W. W. Norton & Company

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• In ease of body, peace of mind, all the different ranks of life are nearly upon a level and the beggar who suns himself by the side of the highway, possesses that security which kings are fighting for.

  Adam Smith

  Kings, Fighting, Mind

  1759 The Theory of Moral Sentiments.

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• People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices. It is impossible indeed to prevent such meetings, by any law which either could be executed, or would be consistent with liberty or justice. But though the law cannot hinder people of the same trade from sometimes assembling together, it ought to do nothing to facilitate such assemblies; much less to render them necessary.

  Adam Smith

  Law, Justice, People

  An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations vol. 1, bk. 1, ch. 10 (1776)

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• Wherever there is great property there is great inequality. For one very rich man there must be at least five hundred poor, and the affluence of the few supposes the indigence of the many. The affluence of the rich excites the indignation of the poor, who are often both driven by want, and prompted by envy, to invade his possessions.

  Adam Smith

  Men, Envy, Want

  Adam Smith (1809). “An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”, p.95

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• It is not for its own sake that men desire money, but for the sake of what they can purchase with it.

  Adam Smith

  Men, Desire, Sake

  Adam Smith (2007). “The Wealth of Nations: An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations: With an introduction by Jonathan B. Wight, University of Richmond”, p.393, Harriman House Limited

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• No complaint... is more common than that of a scarcity of money.

  Adam Smith

  Money, Reality, Scarcity

  Adam Smith (2010). “An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”, p.334, Cosimo, Inc.

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• An English university is a sanctuary in which exploded systems and obsolete prejudices find shelter and protection after they have been . hunted out of every corner of the world.

  Adam Smith

  Education, Prejudice, World

  Adam Smith (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of Adam Smith (Illustrated)”, p.1761, Delphi Classics

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• A merchant, it has been said very properly, is not necessarily the citizen of any particular country.

  Adam Smith

  Country, Citizens, Economics

  Adam Smith (2007). “The Wealth of Nations: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”, p.271, Harriman House Limited

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• A true party-man hates and despises candour.

  Adam Smith

  Hate, Party, Men

  Adam Smith (1853). “The Theory of Moral Sentiments: Or, An Essay Towards an Analysis of the Principles by which Men Naturally Judge Concerning the Conduct and Character, First of Their Neighbours, and Afterwards of Themselves. To which is Added, a Dissertation on the Origin of Languages”, p.219

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