Age and Ideas of Adam Smith

Applications are now open!

Adam Smith (1723-1790) is world famous as the father of economics, but there is much more to him than this. He is one of a handful of thinkers whose ideas can be said to shape the world we live in. Age and Ideas of Adam Smith gives students an opportunity to immerse themselves in Smith’s thought at the University where he studied and taught. As a student and then Professor at the University of Glasgow Smith made a major contribution to the flourishing of the ground-breaking movement that has become known as the Scottish Enlightenment. The Summer School aims to introduce students to the whole of Smith’s impressive body of work ranging from moral philosophy and literary criticism to economics and political science. Students will have the opportunity to read and discuss Smith’s work with some of the leading world experts on his thinking.

The intensive series of lectures and discussions is complemented by trips to locations in Scotland with strong associations with Smith including his birthplace Kirkcaldy and his final resting place in Edinburgh.

What you will learn

This course aims to:

  • provide students with the opportunity to learn more about the work of Adam Smith
  • explore the context in which Smith’s ideas developed in the philosophy and political economy of the Enlightenment period
  • introduce students to the history and culture of Glasgow and Scotland
  • demonstrate the continued relevance of Smithian ideas

By the end of the course students will be able to:

  • identify the key ideas in Adam Smith’s work
  • analyse Smith’s ideas in their historical context
  • evaluate Smith’s legacy for political economy and philosophy
  • apply Smithian ideas to contemporary social and political issues

Teaching pattern

The course will be a mixture of lectures, seminars, archive workshops and field trips to Smith related locations around Scotland.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

  • GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent)
  • you should be currently enrolled at an international higher education institution.

If your first language is not English, you must meet our minimum proficiency level:

  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training) overall score of 6.0, with no sub test less than 5.5
  • we also accept equivalent scores in other recognised qualifications such as ibTOEFL, CAE, CPE and more.

This is a guide, for further information email internationalsummerschools@glasgow.ac.uk