AN INQUIRY INTO THE NATURE AND CAUSES
OF THE WEALTH OF NATIONS

by Adam Smith
1776

Table of Contents:

Introduction and Plan of the Work

Book One:
Of The Causes Of Improvement In The Productive Powers Of Labour, And Of The Order According To Which Its Produce Is Naturally Distributed Among The Different Ranks Of The People

CHAPTER I
Of the Division of Labour

CHAPTER II
Of the Principle which gives occasion to the Division of Labour

CHAPTER III
That the Division of Labour is limited by the Extent of the Market

CHAPTER IV
Of the Origin and Use of Money

CHAPTER V
Of the Real and Nominal Price of Commodities, or their Price in Labour, and their Price in Money

CHAPTER VI
Of the Component Parts of the Price of Commodities

CHAPTER VII
Of the Natural and Market Price of Commodities

CHAPTER VIII
Of the Wages of Labour

CHAPTER IX
Of the Profits of Stock

CHAPTER X
Of Wages and Profit in the different Employments of Labour and Stock
PART 1
Inequalities arising from the Nature of the Employments Themselves
PART 2
Inequalities by the Policy of Europe

CHAPTER XI
Of the Rent of Land
PART 1
Of the Produce of Land which always affords Rent
PART 2
Of the Produce of Land which sometimes does, and sometimes does not, afford Rent
PART 3
Of the Variations in the Proportion between the respective Values of that Sort of Produce which always affords Rent, and of that which sometimes does and sometimes does not afford Rent

Digression Concerning The Variations In The Value Of Silver
During The Course Of The Four Last Centuries
First Period
Second Period
Third Period
Variations In The Proportion Between The Respective Values Of Gold And Silver
Grounds Of The Suspicion That The Value Of Silver Still Continues To Decrease
Different Effects Of The Progress Of Improvement Upon Three Different Sorts Of Rude Produce
First Sort
Second Sort
Third Sort
Conclusion Of The Digression Concerning The Variations In The Value Of Silver
Effects Of The Progress Of Improvement Upon The Real
Price Of Manufactures
Conclusion Of The Chapter


Book Two:
Of the Nature, Accumulation, and Employment of Stock

Chapter I.
Of the Division of Stock

Chapter II.
Of Money Considered as a Particular Branch of the General Stock of the Society, or of the Expense of Maintaining the National Capital

Chapter III.
Of the Accumulation of Capital, or of Productive and Unproductive Labour

Chapter IV.
Of Stock Lent at Interest

Chapter V.
Of the Different Employment of Capitals


Book Three:
Of the Different Progress of Opulence in Different Nations

Chapter I.
Of the Natural Progress of Opulence

Chapter II.
Of the Discouragement of Agriculture in the ancient State of Europe after the Fall of the Roman Empire

Chapter III.
Of the Rise and Progress of Cities and Towns after the Fall of the Roman Empire

Chapter IV.
How the Commerce of the Towns Contributed to the Improvement of the Country


Book Four:
Of Systems of Political Economy

Introduction

Chapter I.
Of the Principle of the Commercial, or Mercantile System

Chapter II.
Of Restraints upon the Importation from Foreign Countries of such Goods as can be produced at Home

Chapter III.
Of the extraordinary Restraints upon the Importation of Goods of almost all kinds from those
Countries with which the Balance is supposed to be Disadvantageous
PART 1
Of the Unreasonableness of those Restraints even upon the Principles of the Commercial System
Digression Concerning Banks Of Deposit, Particularly Concerning That Of Amsterdam
PART 2
Of the Unreasonableness of those extraordinary Restraints upon other Principles

Chapter IV.
Of Drawbacks

Chapter V.
Of Bounties

DIGRESSION CONCERNING THE CORN TRADE AND CORN LAWS

Chapter VI.
Of Treaties of Commerce

Chapter VII.
Of Colonies
PART 1
Of the Motives for establishing new Colonies
PART 2
Causes of Prosperity of New Colonies
PART 3
Of the Advantages which Europe has derived from the Discovery of America, and from that of a Passage to the East Indies by the Cape of Good Hope

Chapter VIII.
Conclusion of the Mercantile System

Chapter IX.
Of the Agricultural Systems, or of those Systems of Political Economy which represent the Produce of Land as either the sole or the principal Source of the Revenue and Wealth every Country
Appendix


Book Five:
Of the Revenue of the Sovereign or Commonwealth

Chapter I.
Of the Expenses of the Sovereign or Commonwealth
PART 1
Of the Expense of Defence
PART 2
Of the Expense of Justice
PART 3
Of the Expense of Public Works and Public Institutions
ARTICLE 1
Of the Public Works and Institutions for facilitating the Commerce of the Society And, first, of those which are necessary for facilitating Commerce in general
Of the Public Works and Institutions which are necessary for facilitating particular Branches of Commerce
ARTICLE II
Of the Expense of the Institutions for the Education of Youth
ARTICLE III
Of the Expense of the Institutions for the Instruction of People of all Ages
PART 4
Of the Expense of Supporting the Dignity of the Sovereign
CONCLUSION

Chapter II.
Of the Sources of the General or Public Revenue of the Society
PART 1
Of the Funds or Sources of Revenue which may peculiarly belong to the Sovereign or Commonwealth
PART 2
Of Taxes
ARTICLE I
Taxes upon Rent. Taxes upon the Rent of Land
Taxes which are proportioned, not to the Rent, but to the Produce of Land
Taxes upon the Rent of Houses
ARTICLE II
Taxes on Profit, or upon the Revenue arising from Stock
Taxes upon as Profit of particular Employments
Appendix to ARTICLES I and II
Taxes upon the Capital Value of Land, Houses, and Stock
ARTICLE III
Taxes upon the Wages of Labour
ARTICLE IV
Taxes which, it is intended, should fall indifferently upon every different Species of Revenue
Capitation Taxes
Taxes upon Consumable Commodities
Chapter III.
Of Public Debts