Jack McCabe
Composition 12
Mr. Benson
24 October 2016
Adam Smith’s Significant Life
I. Thesis and Overview Out of the many historically significant people from the 1700’s, Adam Smith should be considered as one of the most significant from that time. He was born in 1723 in Scotland, in the fishing town of Kirkcaldy. He lived with his cousins and mother because his father had passed away before he was born. He lived a normal childhood and went to school in Kirkcaldy. Then he went to Glasgow University at the age of 15 in the United Kingdom. At the university Smith studied moral philosophy taught by Francis Hutcheson. He then became a teacher in 1751 and known for his economic lectures and started to give lectures to …show more content…
He studied moral philosophy under “the never to be forgotten” Francis Hutcheson, which is what Smith called him.” (Bio of Adam Smith). Francis Hutcheson taught an optimistic natural philosophy. With no math professors Smith turned his full attention to philosophy and history. Then “Smith won the Snell Exhibition in 1740, receiving scholarship for Balliol College, Oxford, and spend the next six years there reading literature, philosophy, and classics” (Adam Smith Biography). By studying at that college it got him into his future careers. Smith began to give public lectures on ethics and they would become the topic of his first book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, in 1759. Henry Home arranged for Smith to give these series of lectures on rhetoric and literature in 1746. Through these lectures in the 1750’s, Smith became lifelong friends with Scottish philosopher and economist David Hume. Smith, in 1751, was then named Chair of Logic at the University of Glasgow. Then he was later elected moral philosophy teacher. He proved to be an “efficient, popular teacher, and heavily involved in the university admin for the next six years” (Adam Smith Biography). The theory of Moral Sentiments gave Smith his first reputation. Smith began to give more awareness to political economy and jurisprudence in his lectures and less to his ideas of morals in 1763. In 1763, the very well known politician Charles …show more content…
Smith was an 1700’s philosopher, not economist, known as the father of political economics and a major help in laissez-faire economic policies. Smith gave public lectures on rhetoric and literature in 1746. Smith, in 1751, was named the Chair of Logic at Glasgow University, and then elected to teach moral philosophy at the university also. For the next six years he would teach and he also was heavily involved in the universities admin. In 1763, Smith was engaged by the politician Charles Townshend and Townshend was so impressed with Smith 's knowledge that he asked Smith if he could tutor his step son, the young duke of Buccleuch. He was given a wealthy lifetime pension by the duke of Buccleuch and then went back to Kirkcaldy to work on what would soon be The Wealth of Nations. As said in the Market Man, “Smith’s books don’t just belong to the history of ideas; they helped establish the ides of history and economics” (Market Man). Smith was appointed commissioner of Customs at Edinburgh in 1777, and spent his time being social and reading greek poetry. He also talked about producing additional works on philosophy, science, law, and government, but none of these were completed before his death. In the days before Smith died, “Smith supposedly had most of his manuscripts destroyed” (Bio of Adam
Composition 12
Mr. Benson
24 October 2016
Adam Smith’s Significant Life
I. Thesis and Overview Out of the many historically significant people from the 1700’s, Adam Smith should be considered as one of the most significant from that time. He was born in 1723 in Scotland, in the fishing town of Kirkcaldy. He lived with his cousins and mother because his father had passed away before he was born. He lived a normal childhood and went to school in Kirkcaldy. Then he went to Glasgow University at the age of 15 in the United Kingdom. At the university Smith studied moral philosophy taught by Francis Hutcheson. He then became a teacher in 1751 and known for his economic lectures and started to give lectures to …show more content…
He studied moral philosophy under “the never to be forgotten” Francis Hutcheson, which is what Smith called him.” (Bio of Adam Smith). Francis Hutcheson taught an optimistic natural philosophy. With no math professors Smith turned his full attention to philosophy and history. Then “Smith won the Snell Exhibition in 1740, receiving scholarship for Balliol College, Oxford, and spend the next six years there reading literature, philosophy, and classics” (Adam Smith Biography). By studying at that college it got him into his future careers. Smith began to give public lectures on ethics and they would become the topic of his first book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, in 1759. Henry Home arranged for Smith to give these series of lectures on rhetoric and literature in 1746. Through these lectures in the 1750’s, Smith became lifelong friends with Scottish philosopher and economist David Hume. Smith, in 1751, was then named Chair of Logic at the University of Glasgow. Then he was later elected moral philosophy teacher. He proved to be an “efficient, popular teacher, and heavily involved in the university admin for the next six years” (Adam Smith Biography). The theory of Moral Sentiments gave Smith his first reputation. Smith began to give more awareness to political economy and jurisprudence in his lectures and less to his ideas of morals in 1763. In 1763, the very well known politician Charles …show more content…
Smith was an 1700’s philosopher, not economist, known as the father of political economics and a major help in laissez-faire economic policies. Smith gave public lectures on rhetoric and literature in 1746. Smith, in 1751, was named the Chair of Logic at Glasgow University, and then elected to teach moral philosophy at the university also. For the next six years he would teach and he also was heavily involved in the universities admin. In 1763, Smith was engaged by the politician Charles Townshend and Townshend was so impressed with Smith 's knowledge that he asked Smith if he could tutor his step son, the young duke of Buccleuch. He was given a wealthy lifetime pension by the duke of Buccleuch and then went back to Kirkcaldy to work on what would soon be The Wealth of Nations. As said in the Market Man, “Smith’s books don’t just belong to the history of ideas; they helped establish the ides of history and economics” (Market Man). Smith was appointed commissioner of Customs at Edinburgh in 1777, and spent his time being social and reading greek poetry. He also talked about producing additional works on philosophy, science, law, and government, but none of these were completed before his death. In the days before Smith died, “Smith supposedly had most of his manuscripts destroyed” (Bio of Adam