The final item of business today is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-08819, in the name of Michelle Thomson, on the tercentenary of the birth of Adam Smith. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament celebrates the tercentenary of Adam Smith’s birth; commends his work in a breadth of areas including engineering, economics, chemistry, political economy, philosophy, literature and medicine; considers that Smith’s ideas were of global importance and continue to have a huge impact on society today; notes the role that Scottish universities played in exchanging the ideas across many disciplines; believes that Smith was a leading figure in the Scottish Enlightenment during the 18th century; understands that the Scottish Enlightenment was an outpouring of intellectual and scientific principles by Scottish theorists, with their work gaining global recognition in asserting the importance of human reasoning, including empirical methods of enquiry; commends the ideas of Smith and believes that their impact on a breadth of areas continues to be globally significant 300 years after his birth; recognises the works of Adam Smith and what it sees as their continued significance to date, and notes the view that it is important to continue to celebrate the life and works of influential Scottish figures.
17:10
I give these opening remarks with some trepidation, as I know that many esteemed academics will be speaking about the tercentenary of Adam Smith this week. I congratulate the vigour with which Professor Graeme Roy and Roger Mullin have pursued celebrations at the University of Glasgow and in Kirkcaldy respectively. Indeed, the inaugural event by Glasgow university was held in the Scottish Parliament, which is fitting. As Smith expressed in his “The Theory of Moral Sentiments”, this place should ideally be where
“To feel much for others and little for ourselves; to restrain our selfishness and exercise our benevolent affections, constitute the perfection of human nature”.
Many people in Scotland recognise the name Adam Smith, yet too few of those and the tourists who walk past his statue on the High Street of Edinburgh, Panmure house or his grave at the Canongate know of his lasting impact. Although we do not know the exact date of his birth, we know that Smith was baptised on 5 June 1723 in Kirkcaldy old kirk.
Smith studied logic, metaphysics, maths, Newtonian physics and moral philosophy at Glasgow university. After a short spell at the University of Oxford, he returned to Glasgow university, where he became a lecturer then rector. He then moved to Panmure house in Edinburgh, where he died in 1790.
He was a leading figure in the Scottish enlightenment, which produced a remarkable outpouring of ideas spanning a wide range of areas including engineering, chemistry, political economy, philosophy, literature, medicine and many other areas of intellectual life. The Scottish universities, not least Glasgow university, were central to that in providing a home for the exchange of ideas across disciplines.
Smith was greatly influenced by Francis Hutcheson, the Glasgow university professor and philosopher and, alongside his friends David Hume, Joseph Black, James Hutton, Dugald Stewart and Robert Burns, they took Scotland to the world. It is no coincidence that, in the 1760s, Voltaire, whom Smith visited many times in France, noted:
“We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilization”.
The Scottish enlightenment asserted the importance of human reason expressed as ideas and a rejection of any stance that could not be justified by reason. Arguably, our current political world has much still to learn. Of course, he is best known as one of the founding fathers of economics, with his ideas still permeating economic theories today. Some would say that, to understand his political economy, you must first have read and understood his “The Theory of Moral Sentiments”. That articulates that we are, above all else, social beings and that our morality—or, in today’s language, our empathy—is guided by that fact.
Although reason is important, it is trumped by the themes that are set out in “The Theory of Moral Sentiments”: prudence, justice, beneficence and self-command, all of which are underpinned and developed by conscience or morality. Again, there is much in his book to guide us in Parliament. I will quote again. He said:
“We are but one of the multitude, in no respect better than any other in it.”
As put more colloquially by Robert Burns, we are all Jock Tamson’s bairns.
Smith went on:
“The prudent man is always sincere, and feels horror at the very thought of exposing himself to the disgrace which attends upon the detection of falsehood”.
His three natural laws of economics—the law of self-interest, the law of competition and the law of supply and demand—were laid out in his lectures at Glasgow university. Many of those concepts are fundamentally misunderstood and have been misappropriated, not least by the Adam Smith Institute in London.
By the time he wrote “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” in 1776, Smith had seen corruption and unfettered imperialism mixed with power held in the hands of just a few. The requirement for balance between competition, capitalism and a free market, known as “the invisible hand”, points to what we would now regard as an acute need for sustainability in economic growth.
He also had commentary to make about sensible trade, citing the example of wine making in Scotland: just because we could, that does not mean to say that we should, if the bottom-line cost of said trade is not commercially viable. He was also clear about the damage that is caused by tariffs. I suggest that some Brexit-supporting Conservatives reread that particular section in “The Wealth of Nations”.
In my closing remarks, I will return to Professor Graeme Roy and draw from an article that he wrote in December 2022. He said:
“Crucially, Smith is a ‘political economist’ and not just interested in understanding economic trends. He seeks to make the case for the institutions and structures in our society—such as the shape of markets—to be cohesive, fair and resilient. As we face complex intergenerational and global challenges, be it the climate emergency, rising inequality, or the cost-of-living crisis, there is much we can apply from Smith’s writings to today”.
Roy finished by saying:
“In today’s often toxic political culture and binary policy debates, a recognition that the big global policy challenges that we face require careful thought and, above all, respectful discourse between different sides of an argument”—
the use of reason, one could argue—
“is perhaps the greatest lesson we can learn from one of Scotland’s most famous sons”.
I look forward to the next 300 years of global influence. Thank you, Adam Smith.
17:17
I very much welcome Michelle Thomson’s motion celebrating the tercentenary of the birth of Adam Smith, who was a man who was such a profound influence on the Scottish enlightenment and on political economy across the world—a point that I also highlighted in my own parliamentary motion. I entirely associate myself with Michelle Thomson’s remarks, particularly her last point about having discourse in respectful terms. That is a very important lesson.
I vividly recall how, when I was taking up my first teaching post in economics, I was handed a copy of “The Wealth of Nations” and told to inspire my young charges, who were just 14 and 15—which is, in fact, the age at which Smith started university. I was told that if they did not immediately come to terms with the principle of taxation, I should tell them about Smith’s abduction by Travellers when he was aged four, or that an asteroid is named after him, or about the making of a pin. That, I was told, would capture their imagination.
It was advice to ponder as I embarked on a teaching career that inevitably involved inspiring young minds to recognise one of the true greats in Scottish history, who had written “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” and “The Theory of Moral Sentiments”. Those books were probably not bedside reading for most 14 and 15-year-olds, but that was precisely the challenge that made economics come alive for me.
Winston Churchill famously said that
“Of all the small nations of this earth, perhaps only the ancient Greeks surpass the Scots in their contribution to mankind”.
Considering the immense wealth of talent and innovation that have been generated by this nation over the past few centuries, it would certainly be difficult to pinpoint a single person to top the list, but there is a robust and valid case to argue that that individual shold be Adam Smith. His influence is profound and it is felt across so many aspects of life, from economics and politics to philosophy and education—the list could go on, and I am sure that other members will refer to some of the details.
As a graduate of the University of Glasgow and having studied economic history in the Adam Smith building, I was very struck that—as was set out by Michelle Thomson—his strengths were in political economy rather than in what might be seen as modern economics. Reference to the political side of the political economy is really important.
I entirely agree with Fiona Hyslop. That is exactly my background and university degree. It is the political economy that I think is so important. He was very far ahead of his time when he wrote about political economy, so Fiona Hyslop is quite right in that regard.
One of the reasons why he was a pioneer of the Scottish enlightenment was that he transformed intellectual and scientific thinking as well. He is widely cited as the father of modern economics, but there is far more to what Adam Smith wrote about than just that.
He has always been a very relevant scholar in my own life. His writings were frequently referenced in my economics degree and during my teaching career. As an MSP, I find some of his thoughts particularly important in my responsibility for the finance and economy brief.
Not only am I his namesake, but he came from Kirkcaldy, where my family originated. Who knows—perhaps I should do a bit more digging on the family tree.
The economic argument that was made by Smith was that the tax system should be based on equity, certainty, fairness and efficiency, which are still the central debating points around taxation in the modern day. He argued for free market intervention with low Government intervention; he was a champion of the principles of economic growth and wealth creation; and he was an advocate for the division of labour and the concept of the invisible hand—which he actually took from Shakespeare—which determines that an economic system that encourages individualism, enterprise and the freedom of production and consumption is to the benefit of all citizens in society.
I suspect that members might argue about some of that these days, but in the light of what the Scottish Fiscal Commission is telling us, certainly at the Finance and Public Administration Committee, and some of the comments about the taxation agenda, we should be listening very carefully to what Adam Smith said.
I very much welcome this debate from Michelle Thomson. Smith is a colossus of our political economy and thinking, and I very much support the motion in her name.
17:21
I pay tribute to Michelle Thomson for bringing the debate to Parliament on the tercentenary of Adam Smith’s birth. I also pay tribute to the University of Glasgow and others who have organised events to mark the tercentenary.
I spent a couple of minutes this morning on the wonderful Scotland’s People website, and it took me no time at all to dig up Adam Smith’s birth certificate—that is what they call it on the website, but I think there is some debate about whether it is his birth certificate or his baptism certificate. It named his parents as Margaret Douglas and Adam Smith senior, and the place and date of his birth as Kirkcaldy on 5 June 1723.
The reason why I mention that is not only to promote research into Scottish ancestry as an opportunity to generate more tourism revenue but to demonstrate how easy it is to reach back and touch the events of that time, which are documented in that way. That speaks to the enduring importance of Adam Smith to this very day.
As has been mentioned, Adam Smith is primarily recognised for his generation of economic theory and for positioning economics, probably for the first time, as an academic discipline. Liz Smith reeled off many of the theories for which he was responsible, which underpin so much of economic thinking to this day.
“The Wealth of Nations” articulated the theory of absolute advantage—later developed into the theory of comparative advantage by Ricardo and others—which challenged the mercantilism of the day and opened up free trade. That continues to benefit Scottish exports to this day, and the benefits are, frankly, very much in line with the work of the Scottish Government and our export growth plan, “A Trading Nation”.
Of course, Smith was also a very significant philosopher and part of the Scottish enlightenment, working with Hume and others. His first work, “The Theory of Moral Sentiments”, is absolutely critical. It underpinned his later economic theories, the theory of sympathy in particular, which seeks to explainthe source of mankind’s ability to form moral judgments. No big ask!
He stated that conscience arises from dynamic and interactive social relationships through which people seek “mutual sympathy of sentiments”. He set out the theoretical basis to understand why people behave as they do, not just in the economic sphere but in their wider interactions with their fellow citizens.
An understanding of market drivers was combined with the theoretical underpinning of the importance of trade as a good thing for the most part. Smith also recognised the importance of wider considerations of the impact of individuals’ actions on others. That shows that Smith’s work was the forerunner of the conversations that we have today about the concept of the wellbeing economy, which reaches out to encompass sustainability, the fair work agenda and much else, in recognition that consideration of economics and wealth creation goes much wider than just economic theory.
I hope that the series of events that have taken place over the past days have given many people, including me, the opportunity to learn more about Smith’s work. I hope that that continues not just for its own sake but to raise Smith’s international profile. He is a truly international figure who is widely recognised and revered across the world. These events will serve not only to further Smith’s memory but to raise Scotland’s profile and, as a consequence, increase the prospects for Scottish trade and exports. I think that Smith would approve of that.
17:26
I thank Michelle Thomson for bringing this debate to the chamber. In her speech, she expertly highlighted the breadth of Adam Smith’s work and the significant impact that it has had in Scotland and around the globe, which continues to the present day.
The project at the University of Glasgow to commemorate the tercentenary of Adam Smith’s birth aims not only to celebrate his work and its enduring legacy but to support a better understanding of the breadth and plurality of his work and of how the interlocking questions of economics and morality still apply hundreds of years on.
Adam Smith is recognised globally as a pioneer in exploring the relationship between politics, economics and social responsibility. His legacy can be found in almost every economic work. Although we recognise the influence of his time at the University of Glasgow, his roots are in Fife, particularly in Kirkcaldy. He was baptised in Kirkcaldy 300 years ago this week and, yesterday, a baptismal celebration was held at Kirkcaldy old kirk. His education began at home, and he returned to Kirkcaldy to spend a lot of his time after he had been at the University of Glasgow and toured Europe as a tutor to the third Duke of Buccleuch. Later in his life, he moved to Edinburgh as a result of his post as commissioner of customs in Scotland—his residence, Panmure house, is not far from Parliament.
However, for many years, Kirkcaldy was Adam Smith’s home, and many of his ideas developed from his formative experience there. Kirkcaldy was a booming economic centre, and trade and commerce were evident everywhere. From Kirkcaldy old kirk to the newly refurbished Adam Smith theatre, his legacy is stamped on the town. Through the Adam Smith heritage trail, visitors are encouraged to follow in his footsteps and explore Kirkcaldy, as well as the history of Adam Smith, by taking in the heritage centre and Adam Smith Close or viewing the first edition of “The Wealth of Nations” that is on display at the Kirkcaldy galleries. The heritage centre and the close, which opened in 2016, have been important in raising the profile of Adam Smith in Kirkcaldy. Although many people were familiar with his name, perhaps not many beyond those in academia were aware of his huge global significance or the part that Kirkcaldy played in his work.
Alongside the events at the University of Glasgow, and others around the world, a number of events are taking place in Kirkcaldy to celebrate the tercentenary. The annual Adam Smith festival of ideas is bigger than ever this year. It includes an academic programme, a birthday party, which will be in the Town Square, and the established food festival, which is being held this weekend. There will also be a series of lectures—the first was delivered by Sir Michael Marmot, and subsequent speakers include Larry Summers and Robert Peston, who will deliver the annual Adam Smith lecture on Friday. It is not all politics, though—Alexander McCall Smith will be in conversation tomorrow night, and Arabella Weir, along with Elaine C Smith, will be presenting “Two Doors Down”. The Adam Smith Global Foundation is delivering an academic programme on Thursday and Friday, with lectures on themes including culture, philosophy, education and economics.
I cannot talk about the legacy of Adam Smith without referring to Kirkcaldy’s other great son when it comes to politics and economics. I will explain how Gordon Brown has done so much to promote the continuing relevance of Adam Smith to the lang toun. He has been a driver behind the recognition of Adam Smith in Kirkcaldy.
The impressive list of speakers who have delivered the Adam Smith lecture in Kirkcaldy is worth highlighting: Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who is the internet founder; Sandi Toksvig; Professor Michael Sandel; UNICEF’s executive director, Henrietta Fore; and Kofi Annan, to name a few. It was quite a coup for Kirkcaldy to have Kofi Annan visit the town.
The Adam Smith Global Foundation has built its reputation on the status of its lectures, but it cannot be denied that Gordon Brown’s commitment to the legacy of Adam Smith and its relevance to Kirkcaldy has made a huge contribution to the event’s success. I also recognise the active support of the Fife Free Press in promoting many events over the years, particularly in this significant year, as there is much to enjoy and there will be something for everyone this week.
17:30
As a Langtonian, it is an absolute pleasure to be speaking in this debate to celebrate the tercentenary of Adam Smith’s birth. I offer my sincere gratitude to Michelle Thomson for securing this important debate.
Today, we acknowledge the lasting works of Adam Smith and their on-going relevance in the modern world. His legacy serves as a beacon reminding us of Scotland’s historic contributions to global thought and of the importance of continuing to celebrate influential Scottish figures.
Adam Smith was a multifaceted figure with an intellect that flourished in the fields of engineering, economics, chemistry, political economy, philosophy, literature and medicine. His ideas not only held global importance during his time but continue to reverberate through the centuries, influencing society today.
I will take a moment to pay tribute to Adam Smith’s deep connection to Kirkcaldy. Like me, Adam Smith was born and raised in the lang toun. In fact, my constituency office, just off the High Street in Kirkcaldy, overlooks Kirkcaldy old kirk, where Adam Smith was baptised 300 years ago. It is a constant reminder of the legacy of a son of Kirkcaldy—and, indeed, of Scotland—whose life and works have profoundly shaped the world we live in.
Adam Smith lived in Kirkcaldy for a great proportion of his life and his legacy is felt throughout the area and beyond. His legacy has brought enrichment to locals and tourists of Kirkcaldy and Fife alike. The lang toun is full of historical monuments to Smith’s life, including the old kirk, Adam Smith Close and the Adam Smith heritage centre. That is a rare example of the once-common rig buildings in Kirkcaldy on the Esplanade, which was said to have fostered inspiration for Smith’s work, “The Wealth of Nations”. A more recent building is the Adam Smith theatre, which is set to reopen.
This year, to celebrate his 300th anniversary, Kirkcaldy will be putting Adam Smith firmly in the spotlight and honouring his legacy at various events across the town. I am so pleased that the organised events have attracted so many people from across the country to experience Adam Smith’s home town and the contributions that he made to it.
Fife College’s scholarship programme also launched a new Adam Smith 300 enterprise scholarship on the day of Adam Smith’s 300th anniversary. Aimed at supporting students who are taking steps into setting up their own business, it will include financial support as well as mentoring support and guidance from Business Gateway Fife. That is great news for students and a fantastic way to celebrate this milestone.
It is important to recognise the pivotal role that Scottish universities have played in fostering Scottish figures, including spreading Adam Smith’s transformative ideas. It was at our Scottish universities that Adam Smith’s spirit of curiosity and formidable intellect were cultivated, along with several other Scottish economists and philosophers. Our world-leading Scottish universities have provided space for ideas to flourish—ideas that would forever change the course of Scottish and global human society.
As we commemorate this momentous occasion, let us remember that it is crucial to continue to celebrate the life and works of influential Scottish figures. Their legacy serves as a reminder of the invaluable contributions that Scotland has made to the world. Adam Smith, an intellectual giant, a man of unquenchable curiosity, a product of Scottish enlightenment, is a shining testament to that.
Adam Smith was a leading light in the Scottish enlightenment, in which extraordinary intelligence and thinking of the 18th century forever altered our understanding of the world. The Scottish enlightenment, with Adam Smith at its vanguard, was an outpouring of intellectual and scientific creativity by Scottish theorists. That work gained global recognition for its assertion of the importance of human reasoning and the use of empirical methods of inquiry. That was a seismic shift away from dogma and authority to a world where the application of reason, observation and experiment became our guiding principles.
The great thinkers of the Scottish enlightenment, including Adam Smith, have influenced the culture of Scotland in several areas, including architecture, art, music and philosophy. The influence of that movement spread beyond Scotland, moving and disseminating ideas. Of course, Scotland has changed in important ways since Adam Smith’s death. Although his ideas continue to be of global significance, 300 years after his birth, countries all over the world have faced unprecedented economic challenges that, time and time again, have tested the relevance of modern economic policy.
However, despite the changes and challenges that we have faced, Adam Smith’s light continues to shine brilliantly in disciplines that are as diverse as engineering, economics, chemistry, political economy, philosophy, literature and medicine. We must continue to celebrate his inquisitive nature, unequivocal mind and inclination to question the world. As policy makers and decision makers, it is crucial to champion those values as we strive to build a society that is economically prosperous as well as socially equitable and just.
In the spirit of Adam Smith, let us continue to pursue knowledge and understanding, question, analyse and innovate. As Smith himself said,
“science is a great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition.”
17:35
I thank Michelle Thomson for securing the motion for debate in the chamber. The debate is timely for the many reasons that she mentioned. There have been an incredible amount of impressive contributions so far—I feel as though I have been back at school in the past half an hour. I had planned to say many of the things that have already been said, so I will try to be brief.
The year 1776 is one of those years in human history that can, quite properly, be described as remarkable, as three seminal texts in the English language were published. The first was the declaration of independence in America; the second was the renowned historical work by Edward Gibbon, “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”; and the third was “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”—the first work about political economy, which we know now as “The Wealth of Nations”—by Adam Smith. Rightly, it is known throughout the world as a seminal work, as it established the doctrine of free trade and the concepts of modern liberal economics that we practice today, which we have already heard about.
I also have a personal connection to the text. In book 3, chapter 4, an ancestor of mine gets a mention. Adam Smith is speaking about the heritable jurisdictions that exist across the world. He wrote:
“It is not 30 years ago since Mr Cameron of Lochiel, a gentleman of Lochaber in Scotland, without any legal warrant whatever, not being what was then called a lord of regality, nor even a tenant in chief, but a vassal of the Duke of Argyll, and without being so much as a justice of the peace, used, notwithstanding, to exercise the highest criminal jurisdiction over his own people. He is said to have done so with great equity, though without any of the formalities of justice; and it is not improbable that the state of that part of the country at that time made it necessary for him to assume this authority, in order to maintain the public peace.”
That is a direct and personal connection for me. In my short speech, I will not focus on “The Wealth of Nations”. I would like to concentrate —
I cannot resist this. The member mentioned three seminal text texts from 1776, including the declaration of independence. I invite the member to say more about the positive benefits of independence.
I will give Donald Cameron extra time.
I am very tempted by that red rag to a bull. Instead, I will concentrate on “The Theory of Moral Sentiments”, which Ivan McKee mentioned. Smith considered the work to be his masterpiece. It was his first major work, and, as Michelle Thomson said, he saw his role as a moral philosopher to be complementary to his views on economics. He also writes about sympathy with the feelings of others, saying that, rather than simply being self-interested, we are deeply concerned with the wellbeing of humankind.
As one might expect from an enlightenment figure, Smith was a humanist: he believed in the dignity of the human being and in government intervention to help those who are in need. “The Theory of Moral Sentiments” is the counterweight to the individualism of the proto-capitalist framework that was to come in “The Wealth of Nations”. As Vernon L Smith famously said in a lecture about Adam Smith’s two major works, together, those explain:
“why human nature appears to be simultaneously self regarding and other regarding.”
In closing, I thank Michelle Thomson for a worthy debate that is in honour of a worthy titanic figure in Scotland. I look forward to hearing further contributions from across the chamber.
17:39
I am afraid that I do not have a connection to Adam Smith like the one that Mr Cameron has just outlined, but the fact that I stand here as the granddaughter of a steelworker in the same Parliament as him is something that Hume, Hutton, Burns and Adam Smith would possibly welcome.
I recently attended, for the first time, an event in Panmure house. I was invited by the chancellor of Heriot-Watt University to a reception to welcome Zambia’s distinguished representative President Hakainde Hichilema to Scotland. The speeches at the event emphasised the connections of our countries, the political and global challenges of climate change, equalities, feminist equality, climate justice and the economic challenges of the global south. It was poignant to hear that in the salon of Adam Smith’s house, whose portrait adorned the walls. The portrait was painted many years after his death, so we have to use our imagination to determine how accurate it is.
When in that salon, one cannot help but pause and imagine the many discussions, arguments and resolutions of the great thinkers of the enlightenment. Indeed, it seems that that wisdom, intellect and vision has seeped into the very walls where Adam Smith lived from 1778 until his death in 1790.
It has been argued already in the chamber that “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”—Adam Smith’s opus—is as relevant today as it was on first publication. Like Michelle Thomson, I was also delighted to attend the event at this Parliament to hear about the University of Glasgow’s Adam Smith business school’s plan to commemorate the tercentenary of one of Scotland’s leading thinkers, economists and perhaps the key figure of the enlightenment, by enabling us all to engage more closely with Smith’s work and to explore his writing not as an historical artefact but as ideas that speak to us still today. There will hardly be an economics student in the past 300 years who will not have heard of, or, indeed, in most cases—like me—have read at least parts of “The Wealth of Nations”.
In The Herald today, Dr Craig Smith, Adam Smith senior lecturer in the Scottish enlightenment at the University of Glasgow, reminds us of Adam Smith’s other great piece of philosophical writing, “The Theory of Moral Sentiments”. That has recently been re-examined by scholars, having previously gone out of fashion. Dr Smith says:
“It’s a book that is, in many respects, as accurate today as it was then in telling us how we feel when we see somebody being injured, or how we feel when we see somebody stealing something from someone else.
“So there’s a focus on the emotions, on the psychology of sympathy and empathy and impartiality—not putting yourself in favour of or above somebody else.”
Michelle Thomson referred to that latter aspect. Dr Smith concludes:
“All these are things ... are still part how we think or feel about morality today.”
That should certainly inform the members of this chamber as we pass law that impacts on people’s lives and as we seek to live up to the standards that are expected in public life.
I congratulate Michelle Thomson on securing the debate, and the University of Glasgow’s Adam Smith business school for embracing the opportunity that the tercentenary presents to celebrate and discuss Adam Smith’s legacy through the “Smith around the world” lecture series, which spans Sydney, Beijing, Tokyo, the West Indies, Barcelona, Canberra, Mexico City, Toulouse, Hong Kong, Oxford, Nairobi and London. The fact that the walls of the Panmure house salon have extended so far across the globe is the most fitting tribute to this luminary of the enlightenment.
Due to the number of members who want to participate in the debate, I am minded to accept a motion without notice under rule 8.14.3 to extend the debate by up to 30 minutes. I invite Michelle Thomson to move such a motion.
Motion moved,
That, under Rule 8.14.3, the debate be extended by up to 30 minutes.—[Michelle Thomson]
Motion agreed to.
17:44
As shadow minister for further and higher education, I am extremely honoured to be contributing to today's debate celebrating 300 years since the birth of the father of economics, University of Glasgow alumni and professor, Adam Smith.
I thank Michelle Thomson for bringing this motion to the Parliament. I will try to contribute a little bit differently to the debate. Unlike my colleague Donald Cameron, I have no direct connection to Adam Smith, although I have cited his work in my studies.
The Scottish enlightenment was a period of incredible intellectual and cultural growth. It was the catalyst for establishing the importance of reason, scientific inquiry and individual rights. It laid the groundwork for the industrial revolution and the rise of modern capitalism. Scotland became a centre of intellectual and cultural excellence, and there was a lasting impact on Scotland’s identity and reputation.
Adam Smith’s work “The Wealth of Nations”, which has been mentioned many times today, is widely regarded as one of the most important works in the history of economics and helped to underpin modern capitalism. We often forget how much of our thinking, as politicians, is inspired by the ideas and works of Adam Smith. For me personally, I understand his work to have emphasised the benefits of the free market and limited Government interventions. Here and around the world, I and many other students and researchers, past and present, have cited his work. In my PhD, I focused on his work on human capital. However, I respect the fact that we may all interpret his work differently, as has always been the case.
Debate and discussion were central to the Scottish enlightenment. As some members might be aware, the enlightenment was a movement that was centred around ideas and debate of those ideas. I believe that it was my colleague Murdo Fraser who highlighted that, in the birthplace of the enlightenment, protesters were able to cancel the screening of the film “Adult Human Female” for a second time. That has sparked discussions about whether censorship has captured Scotland’s world-class institutions, which were once bastions of free speech.
The United Kingdom Government has similar concerns about universities in England and has recently introduced the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which will extend legal responsibilities to universities and student unions to secure freedom of speech and academic freedom while promoting those important values. As the Prime Minister has rightly stressed,
“A tolerant society is one which allows us to understand those we disagree with, and nowhere is that more important than within our great universities.”
It is my hope that, as a result of today’s discussion about the Scottish enlightenment and influential Scottish figures such as Adam Smith, we can all reflect on the values at the heart of that time and what they mean for today’s Scotland.
Today’s debate marking 300 years since the birth of Adam Smith has provided us with a unique opportunity to reflect on the values that were the catalyst for modern economics and the underpinning of modern Scotland’s identity and culture. The Scottish enlightenment was a time characterised by the spirit of open inquiry and the free exchange of ideas, which is almost contrary to the direction in which we seem to be headed as a society now. I hope that debates such as this will act as a turning point for a return to a Scotland that stands for logic, reason and debate.
17:48
As others have done, I commend my colleague Michelle Thomson for securing the debate and for her excellent remarks commemorating this tercentenary. Adam Smith’s ideas have shaped the world as we know it, and the Scottish enlightenment, of which he was a leading part, was characterised by Scottish thinkers and the intellectual leadership of Europe. It was a movement of ideas and, importantly, the disputation of ideas.
As we have heard this evening, Smith is most famous for his book “The Wealth of Nations”. Like Mr Cameron, however, I will focus my remarks on his other book, “The Theory of Moral Sentiments”, which was published in 1759. That book very much put Mr Smith on the map. It brought him fame, and students from other universities—even in other countries—left their courses to come and study under him in Scotland. Further, it was considered by Smith to be his superior work.
I want to read out a passage from that book, although I will not do so in its entirety as it is quite long. In it, he talks specifically about systems and plans for how we govern, using an analogy involving chess pieces. He says:
“in the great chess-board of human society, every single piece has a principle of motion of its own, altogether different from that which the legislature might chuse to impress upon it.”
I will paraphrase the rest. He says that, if the principles coincide, the “game of human society” will go on easily but that, if they do not, it will go on miserably.
In other words, he says that Governments are most successful when they work with people rather than against them. I agree with that, and I sense that there is a bit of agreement with that sentiment in the chamber, too. It is important for us all to ponder that as we go about the work of this legislature.
Like Pam Gosal, I understand and have taken on board Smith’s belief in free speech and how that relates to society—and particularly to modern society at the moment. I think that his idea of free speech was tempered by respect for others and also by empathy for others. He might not understand our modern idea of empathy, but it is certainly based on sentiments that he wrote about in his book.
The Scottish enlightenment teaches us that we need to be free to think, to debate and even to offend, and that we need to base our thinking—our critical thinking—on facts and also on science, which is a sentiment that Smith expressed very much. I think that there is immense value in robust debate—that clash of competing opinions that benefits society and Governments.
Smith and the enlightenment continue to inspire us. They inspire us to pursue knowledge and to create an environment that encourages the free exchange of ideas, because that is how we progress.
17:52
It is a pleasure to follow Ash Regan, who gave an excellent speech. It is impossible to overstate the impact of Adam Smith’s thinking on the modern world. He is probably the most universally influential Scot of all time. I will focus on one aspect of the many strands of his philosophy.
Smith believed that, with the right measure of regulation, society is empowered. He believed that the market is an engine for prosperity when it is legally framed. That is the definition of a free market that I strongly believe in, because it is a model that is based on what works best and what works for people. However, truthfully, I do not think that we have many regulators that we could hold up as being all that good at what they do. Most of them are paper tigers: they are pretty much toothless.
We are a regulatory body—Scotland’s Parliament—and we can and should draw inspiration from Smith’s thinking, especially when it comes to how we as parliamentarians scrutinise the executive, introduce new laws and regulations and amend existing ones. I do not think that we are even half as effective at that as we could be. Some of that is related to process, but much of it is derived from the culture of this place. Everything feels truncated and lacking in thoroughness. Too often, things are treated at a level of just surface depth.
People are rightly critical of the quality of the laws that we pass here, and they are even more critical about the lack of enforcement and accountability. They are concerned that our scrutiny of the Executive is not as robust as it ought to be. We in the Parliament do not set the bar high enough on what constitutes good government. It is often said that we have not developed a Holyrood back-bench culture and that there are not enough free thinkers in this place. That is a far cry from the great figures of the enlightenment.
All of that is highly relevant to Adam Smith and his legacy. We do not spend nearly enough time debating contesting ideas in this chamber. The structure of our debates militates against it, and there is seldom enough time to properly engage with the more serious and often complex issues that we face. The much-missed David McLetchie said of this Parliament that we appear to have just two options—to ban something or make it compulsory. We rarely get to the root causes of the issues that we face. We often end up talking to ourselves about symptoms and not root causes.
Facing up to our failures as a Parliament and objectively judging the outcomes or the effectiveness of the regulations that we put in place is not easy. Of course it is not. It is much easier to stick to self-congratulation or stay safely within the debate briefs that we have been handed. However, up pops Adam Smith to bring us back to root causes, unintended outcomes and the whole issue of human nature—not human nature as we would like it to be, but human nature as it is.
This is Smith in “The Theory of Moral Sentiments” talking directly to us in Parliament. Of course, he did not know that he was speaking to us, but he was. He wrote:
“To judge of ourselves as we judge of others … is the greatest exertion of candour and impartiality. In order to do this, we must look at ourselves with the same eyes with which we look at others: we must imagine ourselves not the actors, but the spectators of our own character and conduct”.
We really should let our inner Adam Smith out. We are quick to pass the buck and to blame, but do we really imagine ourselves to be
“not the actors, but the spectators of our own character and conduct”?
Two years into my service in the Parliament, my answer must be that we can and must do better. Reform of the Parliament is now fundamentally essential.
In a members’ business debate last week, Michelle Thomson said something comparing me to a potato. However, I will be as generous as I normally am and pay tribute to Michelle Thomson for bringing this debate to the chamber. I understand that artificial intelligence was beyond answering the question—I got that. I do not often agree with her on substantive issues, or maybe I find myself agreeing with her frighteningly increasingly—from her perspective, not from mine—because she is undoubtedly one of the free thinkers of the Parliament, and we need more free thinking.
Adam Smith speaks to us as clearly today as he did to those of his day. Let us use his anniversary to reflect, to
“look at ourselves with the same eyes with which we look at others”
and to be the free thinkers that Scotland needs as never before.
17:58
I begin by extending my gratitude to Michelle Thomson, not only for lodging the motion but for so eloquently setting the scene for the debate. I also extend my gratitude to members across the chamber for their considered insights.
Colleagues have highlighted some of the many achievements of Adam Smith. As we have heard, he was a great moral philosopher and political economist and one of the key figures in the Scottish enlightenment. It has been an informative debate. I did not know, for example, that Smith had an asteroid named after him or that he went to university aged 14 to 15. I certainly did not know that Liz Smith might be a descendant.
We should be proud of the impact that Adam Smith has had and continues to have on Scotland and the rest of the world. It is entirely appropriate that we take time today to celebrate Adam Smith 300 years after his birth in Kirkcaldy. Celebrations are happening right across the country, not the least of which will be those at the University of Glasgow, where he was a student; the recipient of an honorary doctorate; later, a staff member; and eventually the rector. At a speaking engagement there this morning, I was told that he wrote “The Theory of Moral Sentiments” at the university.
I also want to celebrate the role that Scottish universities had—and continue to have—in the exchange of ideas, in driving innovation on a global scale and in contributing to social justice.
During the 18th century, the Scottish enlightenment put our country at the heart of global intellectual discourse. It is fitting that we are speaking in Edinburgh—a city that was at the heart of that revolutionary time when there was a constant exchange of ideas between medics and philosophers, engineers and economists, and writers and researchers. That interdisciplinary approach provided a fertile breeding ground for the theories and discoveries that would shape Scotland and the rest of the world for years to come.
As many speakers have noted, Smith was one of the key figures in the Scottish enlightenment. He lived at a time when Scotland was leading the world in thinking, innovation and invention—traits that continue to this day. One of the greatest contributions that he and the enlightenment made to the world was the new emphasis on bringing talent together from across disciplines and crossing the divide between the theoretical and the practical for the public good.
Debates on the influence of Smith’s work often point to the many ways in which he has been misunderstood. In 2017, the then First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, acknowledged that Smith is one of the most misquoted and misinterpreted economists in human history. He is often held up as a believer in unrestrained free markets, but a detailed examination of his work arguably shows someone who was in favour of properly functioning markets that enable a just society to flourish.
In “The Wealth of Nations”, Smith said:
“No society can be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable.”
As an academic put it to me this morning, Smith was neither right wing nor left wing; he was Adam Smith.
The idea of social justice continues to be reflected in Scotland today. What a fine legacy that is for this colossus to have left behind. However, Smith’s contributions would not have been possible without the education system or universities, which enabled him to flourish. For centuries, our universities have played leading roles in nurturing the best minds in the country and providing opportunities for discussion, debate and reflection.
As we have heard, Adam Smith was educated at the University of Glasgow—an institution whose business school now bears his name—and we have our university system to thank for helping to shape him into the father of modern economics that he is widely recognised to be.
Will the minister give way?
I am about to finish.
Our universities continue to bring together students and staff with different perspectives and life experiences. The policy of free tuition and widening access has made the opportunity open to more of our young people than ever before, a fact of which I suspect Smith would be proud.
Smith’s was also the time that saw the dawn of what we now recognise as the scientific method—the gathering of evidence and the challenging of previously accepted theories, and the idea that people should think for themselves rather than believing what they have been told. I am not sure what he would have made of the role of social media and modern society in the context of thinking for yourself, which extends to the espousing of wild conspiracy theories as fact.
The minister heard impassioned pleas from Pam Gosal and Ash Regan on the vital issue of freedom of speech, especially on the campuses of our esteemed universities. Will he take the opportunity to make a categoric and unequivocal statement in support of the right of freedom of speech on the campuses of Scotland’s universities?
Freedom of speech matters, as does respect for others. Often, the tone in which we conduct debates is just as important as the debates themselves.
The attributes that Smith advanced remain those of the Scottish research sector today. Scotland has three universities in the top 200 in the 2023 Times Higher Education world university rankings. Each of our 19 higher education institutions conducts world-leading research across a breadth of disciplines and almost half of it is undertaken with international collaborators. That interconnectedness of people, cultures, facilities, data, knowledge and ideas is the means by which we have the chance to solve some of the world’s most difficult problems, from the climate crisis to child poverty.
As the motion rightly notes, we should be proud of Adam Smith’s legacy and the continued role that Scotland’s universities play in leading the exchange of ideas. I am confident that we will continue to nurture more great thinkers in Scotland’s future—a future based on the wisdom of Adam Smith and the Scottish enlightenment.
Meeting closed at 18:04.Previous
Decision Time