The Views of Adam Smith Essay Example for Free

The Views of Adam Smith Essay The views of Adam Smith, the Declaration of the Rights of Women, Declaration of Independence, and the Declaration of the Rights of Men have a few similarities and some differences. The similarities were difficult to find based on most of what Smith thinking was centered on economics. However, the works of Adam Smith and these three declarations all share a common theme on rights of human beings. For instance, Adam Smith was against slavery and his views were that he wanted it to be abolished. The thinking was on the same level thinking as was the three declaration views toward how men and women should be treated. The thoughts of all the authors were geared to place the individual before all; including profit. Adam Smith and the three declarations were quite different in many ways. One major difference among them were that the declaration were mainly concerning how individual should be treated. The declaration sought the government to be fair and just towards the treatment of both men and women. Whereas Adam Smith was in the infant stage of early economics and how capitalism could and would be fueled by human self-interest. Smith placed a lot of emphasis on what he termed as laws of the market; specifically addressing issues pertaining to goods that are produced for society. The declarations are pleading to the government for equal treatment in all phases of society, however the importance of the market is not the main concern in the declarations. Adam Smith is simply interested in how society managed to sustain itself through mechanism that are somewhat â€Å"invisible hand.† As Heilbroner 1999 questions, â€Å"How is it possible for a community in which everyone is busily following his self-interest not fly apart from sheer centrifugal force?† From these questions Smith was able to construct the laws of the market. Smith interest was in relation to how the individual interest and passion of men are in line with what society is in agreement with. The laws of the market is what Smith believes is the most influential part of society and its success or failure is based and dependent upon it. Smith see how an individual that is driven by self-interest in society coupled with similar motivated individuals will consequently end in competition. This competition directly leads to goods and quantities that society wants and desires. His intellect along years of studies and debating with some of the most gifted scholars of his time has granted to the conclusion that the self-interest and motivation of man solely for profit has to have a regulator to control the greed of profiteers. The regulator to which he defers to is called competition. Smith is able to see that for each man that wants to do the best for himself and reap maximum profits, will always be met the a similar individual with the same motives in mind. Smith views confirms with the views and demands of the authors of the three declarations. Smith was not in agreement with all the practices in his day as he displayed his understanding of the market and pre-capitalism. Even his day there those who would cheat the markets by rigging prices. He understood the exploitation of children for labor in the cotton mills were wrong. These practices was not his ideal way that the market and the future of should proceed but he knew that this the approach and the path in which it was following. It also confirm that even with the negatives that accompanied the market, these activities continued because society including felt that they were necessary evils attached to the overall progression of society. The Declaration of Man best describes the world as we know it today. This is based on the articles that are attached to this document. Although this declaration was drafted and written in 1789, some if not most of the pleas and demands are still being sought in today’s society. One of articles states, â€Å"That men are born and remain free and equal in rights.† However, this particle article was evident in society as late as the 1960s. During this time the Civil Rights struggle was need to simply grant Black (Negros) the right to vote, attend integrated schools, sit at the same lunch tables, or simply sit in the front of a public bus. The seventeenth article of the Declaration of Man states, â€Å"Since property is inviolable and sacred right, no one should be deprived thereof except where public necessity†¦..† This article also was not enforced until almost a one hundred years later and even then people of color ran into many obstacles when approaching property ownership. Even Smith time there was the rich who sole goal was to accumulate more wealth. Smith himself did not approve of giving to the needy or donation to charities. However Smith was not vain to believe in the accumulation of wealth simply to have more; Smith felt that capital was better suited to be invested into machinery to further the progress of the society.