Smith, Newton, and Human Flourishing

I would like for you to read the lengthy definition of economics according to Investopedia and visualize what is involved in economics. Perhaps you are thinking of income, wealth, numbers, business and government. Now I will tell you about the economic giant known as the "founding father of capitalism".

Adam Smith was not famous for the reasons in association to economics you would think of at first. His book titled The Wealth of Nations focused primarily on a less expected subject than usual: public policy. His book focuses on that of human flourishing and is more philosophical than the average approach to economics which is that of practicality and number crunching. In his book, Adam Smith provides a good argument as to why philosophy is just as important to policy in regards to economics and defends economic liberty by focusing on individuals rather than numbers.

Adam Smith's definition of economics in accordance to human flourishing can be summed up in three categories: economic flourishing, political flourishing, and moral flourishing.

Smith refused to give into the mentality of an economic hierarchy in which only a minority has the opportunity of becoming prosperous while the 'lower class' is left in poverty. His reality of successful economic flourishing is a non-ranked system where the thriving of the multitudes allows the blooming of the minority to be far greater than it would be without a content majority. To be collectively prosperous is essential because a chain is no stronger than its weakest link. 

Are you willing to invest more time, money and energy into a pet you have grown fond of and named or a feral cat on the side of the road? Most would NOT go with the latter. In the same way, citizens of an economy are more prone to successful exchanges when they not only are assets to each other but an amity to each other as well. The combination of a utility and an allay is the perfect tool to build political flourishing.

According to The Huffington Post "We tend to mimic the smiles or frowns of others because it helps us better understand what other people are feeling, allowing us to respond appropriately". Our mimicry of body language can be compared to our tendency to thrive when others are succeeding in an economy. In regards to moral flourishing, man is inherently more likely to do well in a group of successful people than a group of unsuccessful people.

Most are familiar with Issac Newton's first law of motion stating that 'objects in motion tend to stay in motion while objects at rest tend to stay at rest'. The same can be said about Adam Smith's philosophy that the economy will boost in the event of individual flourishing. 

Pretend you have a task to complete while you and your whole family is on the couch watching TV and eating junk. Now picture just yourself doing that while the rest of your family is eating healthy, exercising and getting work done. You'll most likely be more motivated to finish your work when everyone else is being active. Collective success and happiness is the bridge for the people to reach individual flourishing in an economy.