Adam Smith

In this series of three podcasts from Freakonomics Radio, experts from the worlds of economics, history, philosophy, political science and and drama discuss Adam Smith and his ideas.

Contributors include Maha Rafi Atal, Assistant Professor in Global Economy, and Craig Smith, Adam Smith Senior Lecturer in the Scottish Enlightenment, at the University of Glasgow.

In Search of the Real Adam Smith

How did an affable 18th-century "moral philosopher" become the patron saint of cut-throat capitalism? Does "the invisible hand" mean what everyone thinks it does? Freakonomics Radio travels to Smith's hometown in Scotland to uncover the man behind the myth. 

Listen to part 1

Was Adam Smith Really a Right-Winger?

Economists and politicians have turned him into a mascot for free-market ideology. Some on the left say the right has badly misread him. Prepare for a very Smithy tug of war. 

Listen to part 2

Can Adam Smith Fix Our Economy?

Labor exploitation! Corporate profiteering! Government corruption! The 21st century can look a lot like the 18th. In the final episode of a series, Freakonomics Radio turns to "the father of economics" for solutions.

Listen to part 3

Freakonomics Radio is hosted by Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books. 

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First published: 21 December 2022