Freedom can mean many different things for different people. There were two men who wanted the same thing, freedom, but they both had different ideas of freedom and how it could be achieved. For Adam Smith, freedom is something that has the ability to promote order. Freedom allows people to make their own decisions. Karl Marx believes that freedom is an inescapable outcome of social evolution, and has the ability to allow a person to change himself whenever he sees fit. Although Karl Marx makes some interesting points, Adam Smith’s ideas seem to be more feasible and less destructive. The main difference between Adam smith and Karl Marx, is the idea of the “invisible hand”. The theory behind the invisible hand is that the pursuit …show more content…
Depending on what it is being done, most people do not do things without thinking of what is in it for them. For example the average student does not go to school because he wants to, he mainly goes to school so that he can get a job and make a substantial amount of money. Because of this self-interest his tuition money is circulated throughout the school where it benefits the university’s community. With this idea of self-interest comes the natural question, Is this selfish? While it can be considered to be selfish, because you are mainly thinking about yourself, that does not mean it is a bad thing. Anyone …show more content…
Smith, The Essential Adam Smith, 7. 2. Smith, The Essential Adam Smith, 7. 3. Smith, The Essential Adam Smith, 120.
Smith figured that his plans for freedom could be achieved and maintained through self-respect, limited government and a self-regulating competitive economy. The force behind the competitive economy would be the want for wealth and getting rid of policies left over from mercantilism. Laborers would feel the need to compete for products that were above their natural price and move when its natural price was higher than its market price. This natural movement to and away from products would keep supply and demand steady. In the case of self-respect, it would keep the laborer from cheating his customer. He would not sell a faulty item because it could in turn cause his business to fail, assault his conscience and question his self-respect and morals. This one seems to have the most impact because no matter how one tries, you cannot escape your conscience. The wrong that you have done will plague you until it is rectified. The last requirement is limited government. Smith feels that government’s main focus should be on education, national defense, and regulation of the law.1 In short, the government may