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Adam Smith's use of multiple references for his pin making example

Author

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  • Jean-Louis Peaucelle

Abstract

At the beginning of The Wealth of Nations Adam Smith describes a pin factory. It is widely accepted that this example comes from Diderot's Encyclopaedia, published in France in the 18th century. The details in the text together with the conferences previously given in Glasgow clearly show that this one reference cannot be the only source. Three other French publications on pin making may also have been used as references for Adam Smith's text. Phrase by phrase these texts are compared to Smith's to support the assertion that he based his work on four previous French publications. The Wealth of Nations unites and synthesizes these different sources and excerpts those parts that confirm his theory. Smith should have listed his sources.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-Louis Peaucelle, 2006. "Adam Smith's use of multiple references for his pin making example," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(4), pages 489-512.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:eujhet:v:13:y:2006:i:4:p:489-512
    DOI: 10.1080/09672560601025829
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Murray N. Rothbard, 1995. "Economic Thought Before Adam Smith," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 377.
    2. Rashid, Salim, 1986. "Adam Smith and the Division of Labour: A Historical View," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 33(3), pages 292-297, August.
    3. Jean-louis Peaucelle, 2005. "Raisonner sur les épingles, l'exemple d'Adam Smith sur la division du travail," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 115(4), pages 499-519.
    4. Groenewegen, P D, 1977. "Adam Smith and the Division of Labour: A Bicentenary Estimate," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(29), pages 161-174, December.
    5. Jean-Louis Peaucelle, 2005. "Raisonner sur les épingles, l'exemple de Adam Smith sur la division du travail," Post-Print hal-01404601, HAL.
    6. Salim Rashid, 1998. "The Myth of Adam Smith," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 1200.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Daudin, Guillaume, 2010. "Domestic Trade and Market Size in Late-Eighteenth-Century France," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 70(3), pages 716-743, September.
    2. Łukasz Hardt, 2023. "On the Modelling Method in Adam Smith’s Economic Thought," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 1, pages 3-18.
    3. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/2241 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/b0ghejdpldro9c499h4ajc937 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/2241 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Perelman, Michael, 2010. "Adam Smith: Class, labor, and the industrial revolution," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 76(3), pages 481-496, December.
    7. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/b0ghejdpldro9c499h4ajc937 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Michael Best, 2012. "The Obscure Firm in the Wealth of Nations," Chapters, in: Michael Dietrich & Jackie Krafft (ed.), Handbook on the Economics and Theory of the Firm, chapter 2, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Guillaume Daudin, 2010. "Domestic Trade and Market Size in Late 18th century France," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03587807, HAL.
    10. Jean-Louis Peaucelle, 2012. "Rhetoric and logic in Smith's Description of the Division of Labor," Post-Print hal-01402198, HAL.
    11. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/2241 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/b0ghejdpldro9c499h4ajc937 is not listed on IDEAS

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