Adam Smith vs John Locke
Smith and Locke are the two foundational figures of the Anglo-Scottish tradition of political and economic philosophy. Smith built directly on Locke's account of natural rights and labor, extending it into the systematic analysis of commercial society.
At a glance
| Adam Smith | John Locke | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | 1723 – 1790 | 1632 – 1704 |
| Nationality | Scottish | English |
| Era | Modern | Modern |
| Movements | Scottish Enlightenment, Enlightenment | Empiricism, Enlightenment, Social Contract |
| Profile | Adam Smith → | John Locke → |
Where they agree
Both held that property in things one has labored on is foundational to political and economic order, both held that legitimate political authority is grounded in the consent of the governed, and both treated the natural law and the rational pursuit of self-interest as compatible foundations for social cooperation. Both wrote in the empiricist tradition and shaped the Anglo-American political vocabulary decisively.
Where they disagree
Locke's primary concern is political: the rational reconstruction of legitimate government from a pre-political state of nature, with property and individual rights as the central protections. Smith's primary concern is economic: the analysis of how a commercial society organized around the division of labor and free exchange produces prosperity. Locke's labor theory of property grounds individual rights against the state; Smith's labor theory of value grounds the productive dynamics of capitalism. Where Locke's political theory authorizes resistance to government overreach, Smith's political economy authorizes confidence that competitive markets, properly framed, generate general welfare without much intervention.
Representative quotes
Adam Smith
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“All for ourselves and nothing for other people seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind.”
Chapter IV, p. 448. -
“How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him.”
Section I, Chap. I. -
“Defence is of much more importance than opulence.”
Chapter II
John Locke
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“No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience.”
Book II, Ch. 1, sec. 19 -
“All mankind being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.”
Second Treatise of Government , Ch. II, sec. 6 -
“The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.”
Second Treatise of Government , Ch. VI, sec. 57
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- Full profile: Adam Smith
- Full profile: John Locke
- Shared movements: Enlightenment
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