Abstract

The article considers the basic prerequisites leading to the writing of Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith. This is a brief presentation of the contradictory influence of French economists on his ideas. It reveals the circumstances and traditions of Glasgow University at the of Smith's studies there. It is an analysis of the influence of the three most prominent figures of the Scottish Enlightenment (Hutcheson, Mandeville, Hume) as well as Newton's influence on Smith. The connection between The Theory of Moral Sentiments and Wealth of Nations has been investigated. Smith's impact on modern science is pointed out.