The Man, his Morals, and the Myths - Adam Smith at Scotland’s Economic Festival

As Edinburgh hosted Scotland’s Economic Festival, conversations about economics moved beyond theory and numbers into something far more human - the life, values, and enduring legacy of Adam Smith.

Among the voices contributing to this wider reflection was the Adam Smith Global Foundation, which took the opportunity to explore not only Smith’s intellectual influence, but also the man himself - his character, upbringing, and moral worldview.

In a speech delivered by Dr Gordon Povey, General Manager at the Adam Smith Global Foundation, the audience was invited to look past the simplified versions of Smith often presented in economic debate, and instead engage with a richer, more nuanced understanding of his life and thinking. From his early years in Kirkcaldy - shaped by trade, ships, and the rhythm of a busy port town - to his moral philosophy and misconceptions surrounding his ideas, the discussion opened up new ways of seeing one of history’s most influential thinkers.

Listeners at the festival also discovered that Smith lived quite closely to the moral code that

he outlined in his first book. They also learned about some fascinating myths surrounding

Smith, some of which were true and some false.

Set within the broader context of Scotland’s Economic Festival in Leith, and in the 250th anniversary year of The Wealth of Nations, the event brought together organisations and thinkers committed to re-examining economics through history, ethics, and lived experience.

The presence of the Adam Smith Global Foundation is particularly important giving a full

view of Smith as a person, especially in the 250th anniversary year of the publication of his

most notable work The Wealth of Nations.

For more events by the Adam Smith Global Foundation related to the anniversary go to our subpage 250WON.