Smith studied moral philosophyat theUniversity of Glasgow andOxford University. After graduating he delivered a successful series of public lectures atEdinburgh, leading him tocollaborate withDavid Hume during the Scottish Enlightenment. Smith obtained a professorship at Glasgow teaching moral philosophy, and during this time wrote and published

The Theory of Moral Sentiments

. In his later life he took a tutoring position which allowed him to travelthroughout Europe where he met other intellectual leaders of his day. Smith returned home andspent the next ten years writing

The Wealth of Nations

(mainly from his lecture notes) which was published in 1776. He died in 1790.

Contents

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1 Biography

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1.1 Early life

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1.2 Formal education

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1.3 Teaching and early writings

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1.4 Tutoring and travels

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1.5 Later years and writings

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2 Personality and beliefs

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2.1 Character

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2.2 Religious views

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3 Published works

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3.1 The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759)

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3.2 The Wealth of Nations (1776)

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3.3 Other works

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4 Legacy

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4.1 Portraits, monuments and banknotes

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4.2 As a symbol of free market economics

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[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Adam Smith was born to Margaret Douglas at Kirkcaldy, Scotland. His father, also named Adam Smith, was alawyer , civil servant,andwidower who married Margaret Douglas in 1720 and died six months before Smith was born.

[3]

Although the exact date of Smith's birth is unknown, his baptism was recorded on 16 June 1723 at Kirkcaldy.

[4]

Though few events in Smith's earlychildhood are known, Scottish journalist and biographer of SmithJohn Raerecorded that Smithwas abducted by gypsies at the age of four and eventually released when others went to rescuehim.

[note 1]

Smith was particularly close to his mother, who likely encouraged him to pursue hisscholarly ambitions.

[6]

He attended the Burgh School of Kirkcaldy – characterised by Rae as "oneof the best secondary schools of Scotland at that period" – from 1729 to 1737.

[5]

There he studiedLatin, mathematics,history, andwriting.

[6]

[edit] Formal education

A commemorative plaque for Adam Smith is located at Smith's home town of Kirkcaldy.Smith entered theUniversity of Glasgowwhen he was fourteen and studiedmoral philosophy under Francis Hutcheson.

[6]

Here he developed his passion for liberty, reason, andfree speech. In 1740, Smith was awarded theSnell exhibitionand left the University of Glasgow to attendBalliol College, Oxford.

[7]

Smith considered the teaching at Glasgow to be far superior to that at Oxford,and found his experience at the latter to be intellectually stifling.

[8]

In Book V, Chapter II of

The Wealth of