The Wealth of Nations, 1776<\/p>\n
Author: Adam Smith was a Scottish moral philosopher, and is known as “the father of modern economics.” He enjoyed a thorough education at the University of Glasgow, and after graduating traveled around Europe as a tutor.<\/p>\n
Context: Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations during the Industrial Revolution. It was published shortly after Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. At the time, Great Britain’s economy was booming, and it’s imperialist influence\u00a0was spreading through Africa, the Americas, and Asia.<\/p>\n
Language: Smith uses simple and\u00a0concise language. His ideas are well developed and clearly explained.<\/p>\n
Audience: The Wealth of Nations targeted an educated demographic. Smith wanted\u00a0to influence people who could affect the economy, like business men, philosophers, and political officials.<\/p>\n
Intent: The objective was to explain economic ideas, like productivity, division of labor, free markets, and the invisible hand. The first chapter discusses the division of labor<\/p>\n
Message: The Wealth of Nations is a collection of ideas that Smith hypothesized would build a nation’s prosperity. The\u00a0first chapter focusses on the three benefits of the division of labor. Firstly, with\u00a0divided labor, each contributor is very good at producing his or her product, and can therefore produce a lot of it. Secondly, dividing labor prevents contributors from having to switch tasks, which wastes time. Thirdly, when contributors focus on one simple task, they are more likely to find an easier, more efficient way to perform that task.<\/p>\n
Essay on Population, 1798<\/p>\n
Author: Thomas Robert Malthus was an English cleric and scholar. He believed that society can never be perfect, and disagreed with many 18th century enlightenment thinkers. He pioneered Malthusianism, which explains the “preventative checks” on populations, such as disease, food supply, and available space.<\/p>\n
Context: Disease and famine were common in England, even with the agricultural and medical advancements form\u00a0the Industrial Revolution. England’s population was increasing, and people were starting to live longer<\/p>\n
Language: Malthus uses colorful and descriptive language.<\/p>\n
Audience: Malthus’ Essay on Population targeted an intellectual\u00a0demographic. It’s audience was even more specific than Smith’s Wealth of Nations. Malthus wanted to influence scholars and thinkers like himself<\/p>\n
Intent: The goal was to show that society cannot be perfect. There will always be food shortages, disease, and other problems.<\/p>\n
Message: There is a cap on every human population. Disease, limited food, and limited space prevent society from increasing forever. Once the population gets too big, people will die off because of a lack of food or space. As the population drops, more food or space will become available. The population will rise again, only to fall as food or space become scarce.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Wealth of Nations, 1776 Author: Adam Smith was a Scottish moral philosopher, and is known as “the father of modern economics.” He enjoyed a thorough education at the University of Glasgow, and after graduating traveled around Europe as a … Continue reading