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waffletoweryesterday at 9:16 PM3 repliesview on HN

So many Smith apologists. I don't believe he should be demonized, and perhaps I am guilty of this by mentioning his name and 'satanic' in the same sentence, but he decidedly should not be lionized either. So many are drunk with history and shirk the work to evolve and transcend it. It doesn't matter if Adam Smith had morality and consideration, those are not ideals his writing ultimately bred, what matters are the free market ideals he clearly encouraged long ago, are now wildly out of control.


Replies

antihipocratyesterday at 10:18 PM

He described a natural process, he didn't invent it.

The invisible hand in markets is a natural property with an effect that's dependent on the environment the market operates within. He may be the first person to describe the process in writing (that we know of), but human beings have been experiencing the effects of this since we first attempted to trade with one another.

cortesoftyesterday at 10:45 PM

He didn't encourage free market ideals, though! He warned us about them!

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peterashfordyesterday at 11:33 PM

Have you actually read The Wealth of Nations?