ADAM SMITH 300
A legacy writ large Smith made a significant contribution to the Scottish Enlightenment, a famed age of debate as to the role of logic and reasoning in proposing and validating knowledge. This period is reflected in the breadth of Smith’s work. Both The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations were published in his lifetime, with Smith revising the former across multiple editions. Smith ordered that manuscripts be destroyed after his death and did not allow those attending his lectures to take notes. Nevertheless, notes were discovered in some cases many years later, forming the basis of a wider array of topics, including essays on philosophical subjects, belles-lettres and lectures on rhetoric and jurisprudence. These were published in the mid-1970s as part of the Glasgow edition of his collected works.
While there is famously much debate as to the differences between his two major works, others have taken a lead from Smith’s The History of Astronomy (one of his essays on philosophical subjects). This has served as a starting point for discussion on ways of thinking, allied with Smith’s own views on systems of thought, manufacture, society and the economy. Supporting the brand The decision to name University of Glasgow’s business school after Smith meant it acquired a brand, or at least one in the making. As a brand – and I recognise that this term can sit uneasily in educational and research contexts – it means the university is sending something out into the world that forms the initial experience of the school for any number of people. The same is true internally, among our students, colleagues, alumni and stakeholders.
Ambition | MAY 2023 | 15
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