The Humanistic Tradition By Gloria Fiero's Chapter Summary

In the Humanistic Tradition the author, Gloria Fiero introduces Adam smith as a Scottish moral philosopher, pioneer of political economy, and a key figure in the Scottish Enlightenment. Smith also known as the Father of Political economy, is best known for one of his two classic works An Inquiry into the nature and causes of the Wealth of Nations. Fiero looks at Smith’s work because the division of labor is important. One thing Smith thinks is even more important for creating a wealthy nation, is to interact and have open trade with different countries. Fiero states,“It is necessary, though very slow and gradual, consequence of a certain propensity in human nature which has in view no such extensive utility; the propensity to truck, barter,

In the article White states, “Agriculture was the chief source of wealth during the third quarter of the eighteenth century. Commerce was second (principally the re-export of colonial tobacco, sugar, and Indian cotton) while manufacturing may have been in a temporary decline in terms of relative importance. Smith wrote before the mechanization of the cotton industry, the growth of the factory system, and the large accumulations of capital via the joint stock company.” A joint stock company is a company whose stock is owned jointly by the shareholders; capitalism. Trade tends to be the main importance of smith’s novel. On the

He says you can always import the stuff and re-export it to other countries and still make a profit. Countries trade with each other when, on their own, they do not have the resources, or capacity to satisfy their own needs and wants. This also benefits a mass amount of people and business by supporting more productive, higher paying jobs. Trade keeps the economy competitive and ensure that there will be business with other countries.

As you can see, labor and trade are the key importance to modern wealth. Production and trade are not just needed but are essential for a country to survive. Smith makes it ideal for countries to interact and trade. Trade means you get more directs workers into jobs in which they have a comparative advantage, which means more