Ryan Hanley on Adam Smith: War and the Laws of Nations

Professor Ryan Hanley, Professor of Political Science at Boston College, discussed 'Adam Smith: War and the Laws of Nations' at the University of Tokyo’s Library of Economics Templeton Lecture.

In his talk, he considered Smith's realism and his understanding of the powerlessness of the laws of nations to contain war.

He demonstrated that Smith’s arguments in favour of both national defence and free trade emerge in part from this deep realist worldview.

Watch the full recording on YouTube

The event also featured a workshop with:

  • Craig Smith, Professor of the History of Political Thought, University of Glasgow
  • Shinji Nohara, Associate Professor, University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Economics
  • Daisuke Arie, Professor Emeritus, Yokohama National University