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The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith

Adam Smith's An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776) is the founding work of modern economics. Across five books Smith argues that national wealth grows through the division of labor and free exchange, that self-interested individuals are led 'as by an invisible hand' to promote the public good, and that markets generally allocate resources better than mercantilist regulation. It provided the intellectual foundation for classical liberal economics and the case for free trade.

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Contents

1. Introduction and Plan of the Work
2. Book I
   1. Chapter I
   2. Chapter II
   3. Chapter III
   4. Chapter IV
   5. Chapter V
   6. Chapter VI
   7. Chapter VII
   8. Chapter VIII
   9. Chapter IX
   10. Chapter X
3. Part I
   1. Chapter XI
4. Book II
5. Introduction
   1. Chapter I
   2. Chapter II
   3. Chapter III
   4. Chapter IV
   5. Chapter V
6. Book III
   1. Chapter I
   2. Chapter II
   3. Chapter III
   4. Chapter IV
7. Book IV
   1. Chapter I
   2. Chapter II
   3. Chapter III
   4. Chapter IV
   5. Chapter V
   6. Chapter VI
   7. Chapter VII
8. Part I
9. Part II
10. Part III
    1. Chapter VIII
    2. Chapter IX
11. Book V
    1. Chapter I
12. Part I
13. Part II
14. Part III
15. Part IV
    1. Chapter II
16. Part I
17. Part II
    1. Chapter III