Among the abundant literature devoted to Adam Smith’s complete works, there has been a relative lack of interest in the Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres, especially from historians of economic thought. I want to show that this youth’s work is essential in understanding Smith’s...

Introduction -- Chapter 1: Schumpeter’s Assessment of Adam Smith and The Wealth of Nations: Why He Got It Wrong -- Chapter 2: Adam Smith's Rhetorical Strategy in The Wealth of Nations, against the Commercial System of Great Britain -- Chapter 3: The Nature and Causes of Corporate Negligence,...