ABSTRACT
The Wealth of Nations (1776) is the second book in the trilogy planned, but never completed, by the Scottish moral philosopher Adam Smith. It was preceded by his Lectures on Jurisprudence (1766) which focused on the social aspects of economic behavior and the institutions that preceded the nascent industrial economy of the England of his own day. Even earlier, he examined the ethical values of life in The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759). It was only following these important works that he turned his attention to subjects that today constitute the major concern of economic inquiry. He viewed The Wealth of Nations as a capstone to his work as a philosopher. He lectured at the University of Glasgow on the whole field of moral philosophy after the manner of his teacher Francis Hutcheson (1694-1746), who classified his subject into four branches: natural theology, ethics, jurisprudence, and political economy.
