Adam Smith's Moral and Political Philosophy

Comprehensive scholarly treatment of Adam Smith's moral and political thought, explicitly addressing how Smith is misread as a pure free-market advocate. Key arguments: Smith supported wealth redistribution and championed the rights of the poor; his minimalist government stance was practical, not ideological; sympathy and moral sentiment are foundational to his economics; and "if Smith's political philosophy looks like libertarianism, it is a libertarianism aimed at different ends, and grounded in different moral views, than that of most contemporary libertarians." Essential for understanding the gap between Smith's actual views and his popular caricature.