Wealth of Nations Term Paper

Total Length: 596 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

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Wealth of Nations, published in 1776 during the Age of Enlightenment and on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution, consists of Adam Smith's considerations on political economy. It is an accessible summation of economics and is highly valued as the first comprehensive work of its kind. As with most literature, The Wealth of Nations reflects its contextual social conditions; revolutionary ideas, technologies, and practices strongly influence the work. With this treatise, Smith sets out to explain an obvious social phenomenon -- the economic engine, combined with ways in which it may flourish.

A lucid description of national economy forms the introduction of the composition. Smith skillfully discusses the merits of dividing labor and the benefits of using machinery to increase production. This instructive passage exposes the powerful mechanism that connects society. Next, an examination of the development of industry and commerce along with urban and rural economic contributions provide the reader a panoramic grasp of economic history and progress.
This generates a comparative analysis of two political economies, mercantilism and the agricultural system; Smith highlights the injury the former inflicts upon society. Smith concludes the study with a discourse on revenue and government's responsibility to provide public services through a sensible system of taxation.

A strong argument for free trade is embedded throughout Smith's accounts of economic axioms. In other words, the purpose of this treatise is twofold; it serves as an inclusive review of economic laws and as a rationale for an open market system. Smith's call for a less-restrictive economy mirrors the social movement in Europe at that time. Widespread economic hardship coupled with progressive ideas of the Enlightenment Age propelled society to seek an alternative economic system. Smith declares mercantilism -- the prevailing commercial system of the time, an obstacle to economic, political,….....

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