The Other Adam Smith

Mike Hill and Warren Montag's revelatory The Other Adam Smith reveals just how important Smith is to [the] debates on sovereignty and life ... Hill and Montag's brilliant book challenges the reader to think about Adam Smith in new ways and for new purposes. -- Daniel O'Quinn SEL Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 This outstanding interdisciplinary achievement spans English literature, social theory, history of philosophy, history of the book, social theory, and political history in what is a socially important and largely original re-evaluation of the argument for a market society and Liberal political economy more generally. -- Eric Schliesser Ghent University Dispensing with ideological and impartial interpretations, this book offers the first reading of Adam Smith's entire corpus. Reconstructing his work from every aspect and positioning it within the economic, philosophical, and anthropological debates of his time, it offers a radical interrogation of Smith in light of today's most pressing questions and theoretical discussions. -- Roberto Esposito Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa This challenging, cogent study is the first serious overview of the career of Adam Smith (1723-90) ... The authors' literary approach is refreshing: it is grounded in philosophy, history, and economics, disciplines that provide them with fascinating theoretical tools for reading Smith from a variety of perspectives. -- D.A. Robinson CHOICE Mike Hill and Warren Montag argue, convincingly to my mind, that Adam Smith was a major thinker across a vast range of fields. In turn, they suggest not just the other Adam Smith but multiple others ... Hill and Montag move us beyond interesting but limited binary debates to show that the, apparently, marginal focus on cruelty in Smith's work, has helped justify a political-economy of neo-liberal necro-economics ... [A] rewarding book. -- Derek Wall Marx and Philosophy Review of Books This book is a welcome addition to Smith scholarship. It is a highly interdisciplinary and contextualized reading of Smith's works, contexts, and legacy. -- Brian Glenney Scottish Philosophy Hill and Montag's premise is that Adam Smith is a classic thinker in the best sense: No amount of rumination about his writings can exhaust their relevance. As their book demonstrates, no matter what happens in our capitalist world, we can be edified by returning to Smith's texts. Like Smith's writings, this excellent monograph will endure. -- Michael J. Shapiro, University of Hawaii Manoa