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BIOGRAPHIES OF GREAT SCIENTISTS
Smith Adam. Biography of a scientist
Directory / Biographies of great scientists
Two years after Adam Smith's death, English Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger, speaking in Parliament, recalled one whose "extensive knowledge ... and philosophical approach" made it possible to find "the best solution to any question connected with the history of trade or with political and economic systems." It is hardly possible to accurately convey the significance of the works of the great economist, whose ideas have made a real revolution in the minds of people. The talents of a writer, a materialist philosopher, a literary historian and a linguist, combined in this man, seemed to demonstrate the possibilities of a "free mind" in the age of Enlightenment. Sixty-seven years of the thinker's life were so devoid of outwardly spectacular events that biographers savor any episode that somehow disturbed her calmness and serenity. Adam Smith was born in 1723 in the small Scottish town of Kirkcaldy. His father, a petty customs officer, died before his son was born. Mother gave Adam a good upbringing and had a great moral influence on him. At the age of fourteen, Smith comes to Glasgow to study mathematics and philosophy at the university. The most vivid and unforgettable impressions left him with the brilliant lectures of Francis Hutchison, who was called "the father of speculative philosophy in Scotland in modern times." Hutchison was the first professor at the University of Glasgow to give his lectures not in Latin, but in the usual colloquial language, and without any notes. His adherence to the principles of "reasonable" religious and political freedom, unorthodox ideas about the just and good Supreme Deity, who cares about human happiness, caused discontent among the old Scottish professors. In 1740, due to circumstances - Scottish universities could send several students annually to study in England - Smith went to Oxford. During this long journey on horseback, the young man never ceased to be amazed at the wealth and prosperity of the local region, so unlike the economical and reserved Scotland. Oxford met him inhospitably: the Scots, who were very few there, felt uncomfortable, subjected to constant ridicule, indifferent, and even unfair treatment of teachers. Smith considered the six years spent here the most unhappy and mediocre in his life, although he read a lot and constantly studied on his own. It is no coincidence that he left the university ahead of schedule, without receiving a diploma. Smith returned to Scotland and, abandoning his intention to become a priest, decided to earn his livelihood through literary activity. In Edinburgh he prepared and delivered two courses of public lectures on rhetoric, belles-lettres and jurisprudence. However, the texts have not been preserved, and an impression of them can only be formed from the memoirs and notes of some listeners. One thing is certain - already these speeches brought Smith the first glory and official recognition: in 1751 he received the title of professor of logic, and the very next year - professor of moral philosophy at the University of Glasgow. Probably, those thirteen years that he taught at the university, Smith lived happily - he, by nature a philosopher, was alien to political ambitions and the desire for greatness. He believed that happiness is available to everyone and does not depend on the position in society, and true pleasure is given only by job satisfaction, peace of mind and bodily health. Smith himself lived to old age, retaining a clarity of mind and an extraordinary industriousness. As a lecturer, Smith was unusually popular. His course, which consisted of natural history, theology, ethics, jurisprudence and politics, attracted numerous students who came even from remote places. The very next day, the new lectures were hotly discussed in the clubs and literary societies of Glasgow. Smith's admirers not only repeated the expressions of their idol, but even tried to accurately imitate his manner of speaking, pronunciation features. Meanwhile, Smith hardly resembled an eloquent orator: his voice was harsh, the diction was not very clear, at times he almost stuttered. There was a lot of talk about his distraction. Sometimes people around noticed that Smith seemed to be talking to himself, and a slight smile appeared on his face. If at such moments someone called out to him, trying to involve him in a conversation, he immediately began to rant and did not stop until he laid out everything that he knew about the subject of discussion. But if someone expressed doubt in his arguments, Smith instantly retracted what he had just said and with the same fervor convinced of the exact opposite. A distinctive feature of the character of the scientist was gentleness and compliance, reaching some timidity, probably due to the female influence under which he grew up. Almost until his very last years, he was cared for by his mother and cousin. Smith had no other relatives: they said that after the disappointment suffered in early youth, he forever abandoned thoughts of marriage. His penchant for solitude and a quiet, closed life caused complaints from his few friends, especially the closest of them, Hume. Smith befriended the famous Scottish philosopher, historian and economist David Hume in 1752. In many ways they were similar: both were interested in ethics and political economy, had an inquisitive mindset. Some of Hume's brilliant guesses were further developed and embodied in Smith's writings. Hume undoubtedly played a leading role in their friendly alliance. Smith did not possess considerable courage, which was revealed, among other things, in his refusal to take over, after the death of Hume, the publication of some of the latter's writings, which had an anti-religious character. Nevertheless, Smith was of a noble nature: full of striving for truth and the high qualities of the human soul, he fully shared the ideals of his time, on the eve of the French Revolution. In 1759, Smith published his first work, which brought him wide fame - "The Theory of Moral Sentiments", where he sought to prove that a person has an inherent feeling of sympathy for others, which prompts him to follow moral principles. Immediately after the publication of the work, Hume wrote to a friend with his usual irony: “Indeed, nothing can hint at a fallacy more than the approval of the majority. ". The Theory of Moral Sentiments is one of the most remarkable works on ethics of the eighteenth century. As a successor mainly to Shaftesbury, Hutchinson, and Hume, Smith developed a new ethical system that represented a major advance over those of his predecessors. Smith became so popular that shortly after the publication of Theory, he received an offer from the Duke of Buckley to accompany his family on a trip to Europe. The arguments that forced the respected professor to leave the university chair and his usual social circle were weighty: the duke promised him 300 pounds a year, not only for the duration of the trip, but also after, which was especially attractive. A permanent pension until the end of life eliminated the need to earn a livelihood. The journey took almost three years. They left England in 1764, visited Paris, Toulouse, other cities of southern France, and Genoa. The months spent in Paris were remembered for a long time - here Smith met almost all the outstanding philosophers and writers of the era. He met with d'Alembert, Helvetius, but especially became close to Turgot - a brilliant economist, the future inspector general of finances. Smith's poor knowledge of French did not prevent Smith from having long conversations with him about political economy. Their views had much in common: the ideas of free trade, restrictions on state intervention in the economy. Returning to his homeland, Adam Smith retires to the old parental home, devoting himself entirely to working on the main book of his life. About ten years flew by almost completely alone. In letters to Hume, Smith mentions long walks along the seashore, where nothing interfered with reflection. In 1776, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations was published, a work that combines abstract theory with a detailed description of the features of the development of trade and production. With this last work, Smith, according to the then widespread opinion, created a new science - political economy. The opinion is exaggerated. But no matter how one evaluates Smith's merits in the history of political economy, one thing is beyond doubt: no one, either before or after him, played such a role in the history of this science. "The Wealth of Nations" is an extensive treatise of five books, containing an outline of theoretical economics (1-2 books), a history of economic doctrines in connection with the general economic history of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire (3-4 books) and financial science in connection with the science of management (5th book). The main idea of the theoretical part of The Wealth of Nations can be considered the position that the main source and factor of wealth is human labor - in other words, the person himself. The reader encounters this idea in the very first pages of Smith's treatise, in the famous chapter "On the division of labor." The division of labor, according to Smith, is the most important engine of economic progress. As a condition that places a limit on the possible division of labor, Smith points to the vastness of the market, and in this way raises the whole doctrine from a simple empirical generalization, expressed even by the Greek philosophers, to the degree of a scientific law. In the doctrine of value, Smith also highlights human labor, recognizing labor as the universal measure of exchange value. His criticism of mercantilism was not abstract reasoning: he described the economic system in which he lived and showed its unsuitability for new conditions. Perhaps the observations made earlier in Glasgow, then still a provincial city, gradually turning into a major commercial and industrial center, helped. According to the apt remark of one of his contemporaries, here after 1750 "not a single beggar was seen on the streets, every child was busy with work." Smith was not the first to seek to debunk the economic fallacies of the policy of mercantilism, which assumed artificial encouragement by the state of certain industries, but he managed to bring his views into a system and apply it to reality. He defended free trade and non-intervention of the state in the economy, because he believed that only they would provide the most favorable conditions for obtaining the greatest profit, and therefore, would contribute to the prosperity of society. Smith believed that the functions of the state should be reduced only to the defense of the country from external enemies, the fight against criminals and the organization of those economic activities that are beyond the power of individuals. Smith's originality was not in particulars, but in general: his system was the most complete and perfect expression of the ideas and aspirations of his era - the era of the fall of the medieval economic system and the rapid development of the capitalist economy. Smith's individualism, cosmopolitanism, and rationalism are in perfect harmony with the philosophical outlook of the 18th century. His ardent faith in freedom is reminiscent of the revolutionary era of the late XNUMXth century. The same spirit is imbued with Smith's attitude towards the working and lower classes of society. In general, Smith is completely alien to that conscious defense of the interests of the upper classes, the bourgeoisie or landowners, which characterized the social position of his students of later times. On the contrary, whenever the interests of workers and capitalists come into conflict, he energetically takes the side of the workers. Nevertheless, Smith's ideas served the benefit of the bourgeoisie. The transitional nature of the era affected this irony of history. In 1778 Smith was appointed to the Scottish Customs Board. Edinburgh became his permanent residence. In 1787 he was elected rector of the University of Glasgow. Coming to London now, after the publication of The Wealth of Nations, Smith met with resounding success and admiration of the public. But his most enthusiastic admirer was William Pitt the Younger. He was not even eighteen when Adam Smith's book was published, which largely influenced the formation of the views of the future prime minister, who tried to put into practice the main principles of Smith's economic theory. In 1787, Smith's last visit to London took place - he was supposed to attend a dinner where many famous politicians gathered. Smith came last. Immediately everyone rose to greet the honored guest. "Sit down, gentlemen," he said, embarrassed by the attention. "No," Pitt replied, "we will remain standing until you sit down, because we are all your students." "What an extraordinary man Pitt," exclaimed Adam Smith later, "he understands my ideas better than I do!" The last years were painted in gloomy, melancholy tones. With the death of his mother, Smith seemed to have lost the desire to live, the best was left behind. Honor did not replace departed friends. On the eve of his death, Smith ordered all unfinished manuscripts to be burned, as if once again reminding him of the contempt for vanity and worldly fuss. He died in Edinburgh in 1790. Author: Samin D.K.
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