Death of Adam Smith

Adam Smith died on 17 July 1790 in Edinburgh, aged about 67. A Scottish philosopher and economist, Smith was a leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment and a professor of moral philosophy at the University of Glasgow. His first book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments of 1759, examined how sympathy shapes moral judgement. His greatest work, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations of 1776, argued that the division of labour, competition and free trade increased prosperity, and it introduced the image of the invisible hand. He is often called the father of modern economics. He was a friend of David Hume and later worked as a commissioner of customs in Edinburgh.

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