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About the work

Adam Smith in His Time and Ours (ISBN 9780691001616) offers a rigorous reevaluation of the father of modern economics, placing Smith’s ideas in the social, political, and intellectual currents of his era while tracing their enduring resonance in contemporary life. This edition illuminates how Smith’s insights into markets, morality, and human behavior continue to provoke debate and shape policy long after his century. A careful, provocative study, it invites readers to reconsider what Smith truly meant by sympathy, justice, and the invisible hand.

Summary

The book navigates Smith’s life, writings, and the historical contexts that shaped his thought, from his Scottish Enlightenment milieu to his influence on liberal and moral philosophy. It examines key works such as The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations, linking them to modern economic theory, public policy, and everyday social practice. Through close readings and historical analysis, the author reveals the tensions, surprises, and enduring relevance of Smith’s ideas in the age of globalization, inequality, and rapid technological change.

About the author

Jerry Z. Muller, a distinguished scholar of history and political economy, specializes in the intersections of economics, culture, and public policy. With a prolific career spanning decades, Muller has published influential studies that illuminate how ideas travel across eras and shape institutions, culture, and governance. His work is known for clear argumentation, careful archival research, and a nuanced understanding of Smithian thought within broader intellectual currents.

In brief

This book offers a compelling reexamination of Adam Smith’s legacy, clarifying both the historical context of his writings and their ongoing relevance to contemporary economic and moral questions.

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