Enlightened economics: Lessons from Adam Smith on the economic challenges facing modern Britain
Published: 13 September 2023
Jesse Norman MP discusses Adam Smith in this event co-hosted by the Resolution Foundation and the Society of Professional Economists.
Jesse Norman MP was in conversation with Amanda Rowlatt in this event co-hosted by the Resolution Foundation and the Society of Professional Economists.
- Speaker: Jesse Norman MP, Minister of State, Decarbonisation & Technology, Department for Transport
- Speaker: Rt Hon Lord David Willetts, President, The Resolution Foundation
- Chair: Amanda Rowlatt, Chief Analyst, Department for Transport
Adam Smith was a leading political economy thinker of the Scottish enlightenment in the mid-late 18th century. But as the "Father of Capitalism" his pioneering work on free market economics has influenced politicians, philosophers and economists throughout the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries too.
But modern Britain – as well as other advanced economies – is struggling with economic stagnation. Many people are questioning the central tenants of capitalism that Smith championed – from free trade and globalisation to regulation and the role of the state – and whether they can deliver the living standards growth that people need. What lessons can we learn from Adam Smith on the economic challenges facing Britain today?
To mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of Adam Smith, the Resolution Foundation co-hosted this event with the Society of Professional Economists to discuss what his work can teach us about the economic challenges of Britain today.
First published: 13 September 2023