ON THE OCCASION of his 300th birthday, Adam Smith—the Scottish Enlightenment luminary and so-called father of capitalism—was not available for comment, despite attempts to contact him via Ouija board and seance. Smith was undeniably one of a kind, a pathbreaking thinker in his own time and a philosopher whose insights in The Theory of Moral Sentiments and Wealth of Nations still apply in ours.
But he is not the only Adam Smith. For this special anniversary issue of Reason, we spoke with another, less-deceased economist named Adam C. Smith, this one a professor at Johnson & Wales University who was reachable via Zoom.
Bearing the name of Adam Smith has had a profound impact on his life, he says. The name has its perks, says Smith. He’s used it to his advantage professionally, striking up conversations with a wide array of economists from Paul Krugman to Vernon Smith
