Adam Smith and Richard Price on a Free Society of Equals

In this article, I examine two competing republican ideals of a free society of equals in the eighteenth century. I claim that while the value of nondependency was central to the economic outlooks of both Adam Smith and Richard Price, their evaluations of free-market practices were dramatically distinct. In doing so, I introduce a new interpretation of the typologies of republicanism in the eighteenth century.

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In this article, two competing republican ideals of a free society of equals in the eighteenth century are examined. The author argues that while the value of nondependency was significant for both Adam Smith and Richard Price in their economic outlooks, their evaluations of free-market practices were remarkably distinct. This article introduces a new interpretation of republican typologies in the eighteenth century.