Adam Smith and the Culture of Enterprise

Abstract

In this article, the author considers Adam Smith's contributions to our idea of what constitutes a proper culture of enterprise. The author argues that Smith anticipated many later critiques of how markets and the division of labor alter the nature of life in modern society. The author also suggests that many of Smith's concerns stem from the tension between man's moral need for sympathy, which requires the presence of imitative practices, and commercial society's need for constant innovation in cultural and technological practice. The author concludes with a brief discussion of lingering difficulties that stem from Smith's attempt to resolve these tensions.