Conscience and sympathy, then, working together provide moral guidance for man so that the individual can control his own feelings and have a sensibility for the affections of others. ... He constructed a formulation of the laws of the marketplace, discovering what he called "the invisible hand," whereby private interests and the passions of men are led in the direction most agreeable to the whole society. The "invisible hand" was a concept that Adam Smith developed. ... He intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an...

• Word Count: 3887
• Approx Pages: 16

The essential message of the book was that man's self-interest would promote the economic well being of all. ... Smith is most widely known for using his metaphor of the invisible hand. ... Smith stated, "He intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand, to promote an end which was no part of his own intention. ... Smith begins to make visible the miracle of the invisible hand by describing a simple woolen coat and begins to speak of how this product is the joint labor of a great multitude of workmen. ... He says man is continually in need...

• Word Count: 3103
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate