ABSTRACT
European civilization was characterized, among other things, by a recurrent interest in the ancient classics. For instance, within Renaissance humanism, the classics helped to set the world of the culture and education free from the guardianship of the church; during the Enlightenment they favoured scientific investigation by separating the science from a forced twinship with the theology. Another different aspect of the educational perspective refers to the discipline that our protagonist, Adam Smith, illustrated, or rather founded as an independent science. Ancient philosophy could offer suggestions and starting points to a modern philosopher, but ancient economy theorized the wealth of individuals rather than of ‘nations’ (which, by the way, are a later historical creation). The feudal distinction of the ranks (appreciated by Smith) was almost unknown46 in the ancient world – there were not different classes with the different rights.
