Syracuse
Economist Publishes Readers Guide to ‘Wealth of Nations’
Maxwell’s Jerry
Evensky G’84 sheds light on Adam Smith’s landmark book
Jerry
Evensky G’84, professor of economics and a Meredith Professor for
Teaching Excellence at Syracuse University,
is the author of the new book, The Wealth
of Nations: A Reader’s Guide (Cambridge
University Press, 2015), which examines and analyzes famed moral philosopher
Adam Smith’s economic principles.
A Reader’s Guide is the follow-up to Evensky’s first book, Adam
Smith’s Moral Philosophy: A Historical and Contemporary Perspective on Markets,
Law, Ethics, and Culture (Cambridge University Press, 2005),
which outlines Smith’s full moral philosophical vision.
Smith was an 18th-century Scottish philosopher, as well as the
author of The Wealth of Nations, considered the first book to fully
analyze a free market economy.
“What people need to remember is that Adam Smith was not an economist; he
was a moral philosopher,” says Evensky, who teaches in both the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
and the College of Arts and Sciences.
“This book walks the reader through The Wealth of Nations, explaining
the elements and flow of Smith’s economic analysis, highlighting how that
analysis was integrated into his larger moral philosophical vision.”
Smith considered economic analysis to be - but one dimension in the exploration
of the human condition. For economic analysis to be fully fruitful, Evensky
says, Smith felt it should be complemented by analyses of social and political
dimensions.
“Adam Smith believed that the best context for exploring the nexus of these
dimensions of the human condition was rich, textured historical analysis,” says
Evensky, whose expertise extends into ethics and liberal society, as well as
economic education. “The lesson he took from history was that a liberal, free
market society will only be as successful as the ethical standards of that
society are just and broadly shared. Justice is the foundation of a
community of trust, and trust is key to constructive free human intercourse.”
Evensky says that if there is a hero in Smith’s analysis, it is not the
capitalist, but the “ethical citizen.”
Already, Evensky’s book has drawn praise from critics and colleagues alike. Sam
Fleischacker, professor of philosophy at the University of Illinois at
Chicago, calls A Reader’s Guide a “straightforward and lively
commentary” that introduces people to many central themes of Adam Smith’s great
book.
Ryan
Patrick Hanley, associate professor of political science at Marquette
University, considers it an “indispensable guide” to a foundational text in
modern economics and the liberal tradition, offering an “engaging, accessible,
and systematic review” of Smith’s book.
Evensky is gratified by the positive reception: “It is incredibly rewarding to
hold a book you’ve completed in your hands, and to know that it will be in
libraries around the world for others to consider for years to come.” 09/14/15