''Lectures on Jurisprudence'', also called ''Lectures on Justice, Police, Revenue and Arms'' (1763) is a collection of

Adam Smith Adam Smith (baptised 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the field of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by some as the "father of economics"——— or ...

's lectures, comprising notes taken from his early lectures. It contains the formative ideas behind ''

The Wealth of Nations ''An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations'', usually referred to by its shortened title ''The Wealth of Nations'', is a book by the Scottish people, Scottish economist and moral philosophy, moral philosopher Adam Smith; ...

''.

Background

Published as part of the 1976 Glasgow Edition of the works and correspondence of

. It consists of two sets of lecture notes that were apparently taken from Smith's lectures of the 1760s, along with an 'Early Draft' of

. The same material had also appeared as ''An Early Draft of Part of The Wealth of Nations'' and as ''Lectures on Justice, Police, Revenue and Arms''.

Summary

Smith’s ''Lectures on Jurisprudence'', originally delivered at the University of Glasgow in 1762–1763, present his ‘theory of the rules by which civil government ought to be directed.’ The chief purpose of government, according to Smith, is to preserve justice; and ‘the object of justice is security from injury.’ The state must protect the individual’s right to his person, property, reputation, and social relations. Smith elsewhere specifically defines the term jurisprudence as "the theory of general principles of law and government". It is also defined as the general guidelines about the essence of a nation's laws. In the lectures, Smith contends that every system of law aims for, and thus jurisprudence can be divided into, "the maintenance of justice, the provision of police in order to promote opulence, the raising of revenue, and the establishment of arms for the defence of the state".

Part I: Of Justice

*Division I. Of Public Jurisprudence *Division II. Domestic Law *Division III. Private Law

Part II: Of Police

The pros and cons of money, prices, and financial exchanges fall under this section of the Lectures "since the regulation of prices and the creation of money by the state both came under the head of police." *Division I. Cleanliness and Security *Division II. Cheapness or Plenty

Part III: Of Revenue

Part IV: Of Arms

Part V: Of the Laws of Nations

Scholarly critique

According to William Caldwell, the lectures accomplish three goals: they detail Smith's philosophy and beliefs about economics, they explain his motivation to write about the historical origins of political societies, and they show the influence of mercantilism and Francis Hutcheson on Smith's thoughts on the political economy. In an article for ''

Political Science Quarterly ''Political Science Quarterly'' is an American double blind peer-reviewed academic journal covering government, politics, and policy, published since 1886 by the Academy of Political Science. Its editor-in-chief is Robert Y. Shapiro (Columbia ...

'', opines that Smith believed that the political economy is the foundation for morality, law, government, wealth, revenue, and arms, a position that originated from the idea of

natural law Natural law (, ) is a Philosophy, philosophical and legal theory that posits the existence of a set of inherent laws derived from nature and universal moral principles, which are discoverable through reason. In ethics, natural law theory asserts ...

. He also notes that Smith's relationship with the physiocrats is important in the ''Lectures'' and that some critics state that Smith produced the same concepts as the physiocrats on economics. Hasbach also states that Smith expands on physiocratic ideas by advocating a freedom of industry. Smith expects that industry - and also

commerce Commerce is the organized Complex system, system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions that directly or indirectly contribute to the smooth, unhindered large-scale exchange (distribution through Financial transaction, transactiona ...

- be laisser-faire and relevant to all aspects of political economics. Another scholar, C. F. Bastable, notes that Smith recognizes the need for industry for the production of wealth. Industry creates capital which is much needed in an economically viable society. Hasbach has also written that the ''Lectures'' offer a perspective of Smith's view on property that differs from that of

John Locke John Locke (; 29 August 1632 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) – 28 October 1704 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.)) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thi ...

. Smith believes that property does not lie within the individual but rather that it ought to be shared within society. "The individual and his labor are in no respect the ultimate source of the right of property in land: the origin of this right is in society." Also, according to Hasbach, Smith rejects a

state of nature In ethics, political philosophy, social contract theory, religion, and international law, the term state of nature describes the hypothetical way of life that existed before humans organised themselves into societies or civilisations. Philosoph ...

and the doctrine on an original contract, two ideas supported by Locke.

Notes

External links

''Lectures on Justice, Police, Revenue and Arms'' on OLL''Lectures on Justice, Police, Revenue and Arms'' on archive.org
{{Adam Smith Books by Adam Smith 1976 non-fiction books 1896 non-fiction books Books of lectures Books about jurisprudence