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Cambridge Journal of Economics Advance Access originally published online on January 23, 2008
Cambridge Journal of Economics 2008 32(4):555-576; doi:10.1093/cje/bem056
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Cambridge Political Economy Society. All rights reserved.

Newton's real influence on Adam Smith and its context

Leonidas Montes*

* Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile

Address for correspondence: Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Avda. Presidente Errazuriz 3485, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile; email: leonidas.montes{at}uai.cl

While Newton's influence on Adam Smith has been widely acknowledged, there is scant research on the actual nature of this influence. This paper sums up a line of investigation delving into this issue. After a short introduction, it is argued that Newton's methodology is more complex than a merely positivistic interpretation. Then the context of Newton's influence during the turn of the seventeenth century and the eighteenth century is assessed. It will be suggested that a British (and particularly Scottish) interpretation of Newton diverges from the French reading of his legacy. The final section analyses Smith's understanding of Newton, arguing that the father of economics was a sophisticated interpreter. The intellectual context of what the Scottish Enlightenment made of Newton, and how he was interpreted, may have played a major role in explaining how Smith understood Newton's legacy.

Key Words: Methodology • Isaac Newton • Adam Smith • Scottish Enlightenment

JEL classifications: B12, B13, B40, B41

Manuscript received May 14, 2007; final version received November 19, 2007.


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