" (Sources of the Western Tradition, p. 55) Consequently, the only requirement for promoting progress is the active use of the intellect in "all public matters." (Sources of the Western Tradition, p. 55) Kant's interpretation was shared in varying forms by the other great minds of the Enlightenment; however Adam Smith applied a different emphasis based on his economic theory.
As a Scottish philosopher, Adam Smith sought to use reason to understand economics. In "The Wealth of Nations," he set forth two governing laws of economics: the principle of laissez faire and division of labor. By "laissez faire," Smith was implying "the government should intervene as little as possible in economic affairs and leave the market to its own devices." (Sources of the Western Tradition, p. 133) Thus, the entrepreneur under Smith's capitalist state should naturally pursue his own interest and, by doing so, promote the welfare of the society. According to Smith, freedom of pursuit would naturally be checked by competition among capitalists to insure the prosperity of society. The principle of the division of labor rationalized the efficiency of completing a project, particularly the industrial production of goods in factories. To Smith, the division of labor was "the system in which each worker performs a single set task or a single step in the manufacturing process." (Sources of the Western Tradition, p. 122) He proposed that the division of labor arose most favorably in the factories of the Industrial Revolution because it increased the dexterity of the workman, saved time in passing from distinct tasks, and provided for the automation of these tasks through machines.
By the end of the 18th century, there was a dramatic shift from the positive attitude of everything working for the best of society as illustrated by Thomas Malthus, a clergyman and professor of history and political economy. Malthus, while maintaining an emphasis on rational thought, called into question the idealized theories of Adam Smith and applied a moral and pessimistic perspective.
