Resentment seems to have been given us by nature for a defense, and for a defense only! It is the safeguard of justice and the security of innocence.
Adam SmithRead
Wherever there is great property, there is great inequality.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The accumulation of wealth often leads to social disparities.
Adam Smith's quote suggests that significant wealth tends to create a divide within society, where the rich possess far more than the poor, resulting in inequality. This remark reflects on the economic structures that can perpetuate such imbalances, emphasizing the social implications of property ownership and wealth distribution.
Themes
PropertyInequalityWealthSocietyEconomics
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about wealth distribution during a seminar on economics.
More from Adam Smith
All quotes →It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.
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This is one of those cases in which the imagination is baffled by the facts.
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The real and effectual discipline which is exercised over a workman is that of his customers. It is the fear of losing their employment which restrains his frauds and corrects his negligence.
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Defense is superior to opulence.
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I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.
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