Adam Smith and the genesis of the economic discourse

Vol. 24 No. 3 (2004)

Jul-Sep / 2004
Published July 1, 2004
PDF-Portuguese (Português (Brasil))
PDF-Portuguese (Português (Brasil))

How to Cite

Cerqueira, Hugo E.A. da Gama. 2004. “Adam Smith and the Genesis of the Economic Discourse”. Brazilian Journal of Political Economy 24 (3):433-53. https://doi.org/10.1590/0101-35172004-1613.

Adam Smith and the genesis of the economic discourse

Hugo E.A. da Gama Cerqueira
Centro de Desenvolvimento e Planejamento Regional da Faculdade de Ciências Econômicas da Universidade de Minas Gerais – CEDEPLAR/UFMG, Belo Horizonte/MG, Brasil.
Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 24 No. 3 (2004), Jul-Sep / 2004, Pages 433-453

Abstract

This article addresses the problem of the genesis of the economic discourse. It argues that Adam Smith's work played an important role in delimiting the economic sphere because of: i) the specific nature of Smith’s moral philosophy; ii) the way he conceived the economy as an ontological domain. However, the article suggests that Smith's economic theory remained closely connected to his moral philosophy.

JEL Classification: B12; B30; B40.


Keywords: Ethics and economies economic discourse Adam Smith