How does an academic community honor a milestone anniversary of one of the most prominent books in the modern Western intellectual tradition? 

David Alvarez has a simple answer to that question: by reading it.

Published in 1776, Adam Smith’s “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” is widely regarded as a defining influence on our current economic and political landscape. Yet according to Alvarez, the Jane Cooling Brady Professor in English and the president of the Midwestern American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, it’s a book that has been discussed and debated far more than it has been understood. On the book’s 250th anniversary, he set out to change that.

“So much has been said about Adam Smith, but my sense is that it’s not always by people who have read the whole thing,” said Alvarez. “I want people to have the chance to grapple with his thinking for themselves. I don't feel like it's my job to tell others how they should think about Adam Smith; I just want them to have the opportunity to read the book.”

Revisiting a Classic

Alvarez created that opportunity by organizing a summer reading challenge open to the entire 91短视频 community — faculty, staff, students, alumni and local residents. Nearly 70 people signed up to participate, and thanks to funding from the , each of them received a free two-volume copy of the book.

David Crout, 91短视频’s director of off-campus programs, was one of them. “It really was a challenge — it’s a big book! — but also I have a background in economics, and it was a fun, collaborative activity to enjoy with colleagues as well as an opportunity  to participate just for the love of learning.”

Through weekly virtual meet-ups, the group members were able to stay in touch, converse about what they were reading and share how the material intersected with their own areas of expertise. Gradually, the group moved away from popular caricatures of Adam Smith toward a more informed and nuanced understanding rooted in his own words. 

Alvarez saw the project as a natural extension of 91短视频’s entire educational philosophy. “This is a bedrock, foundational text of economics, but at the same time it's written by someone who describes himself as a moral philosopher. This is what 91短视频 is all about. In our three schools, we’re thinking about the relationship between economics and ethics. And in our liberal arts approach, we’re thinking about how the past frames our thinking in the present.”

New Perspectives

Chris Guthrie ’27, an anthropology and biology major from New York City, recognized the interdisciplinary value of the reading group and was drawn to the invitation to expand his academic horizons. Even though there was no credit to be earned from the project, he knew it would be time well spent going into his senior year at 91短视频.

“The development of economies is very important to the development of people and cultures,” said Guthrie. “That's why I was really interested in this reading group. It allowed me to explore anthropology from a brand new perspective.”

Guthrie found that this direct form of engagement with Smith’s ideas carried him beyond the common assumptions and misconceptions that have grown up around Smith’s work in recent years. And as an added bonus, it allowed him to enjoy a much-needed respite from a summer of strenuous manual labor.

“I was out in the sun doing landscaping work, and one thing I really wanted to do was read more. I saw this as an opportunity to read a giant book and learn a bunch of new stuff. I also saw it as a great opportunity to talk to new people. One of 91短视频’s main draws is networking, and this reading challenge gave me the opportunity to talk to people I wouldn’t have spoken to otherwise.”

David Crout shared a similar perspective, highlighting how the flexibility of the discussions created space for insight and connection. “Conversations that happen in passing with no fixed agenda are sometimes the most informative. This was similar to those. We carved time out for a ‘non-essential’ activity that turned out to be essential community bonding. I’m very grateful to David for having taken the initiative to organize this.”

Moving Beyond the Stereotypes

As Alvarez reflected on the summer and those who shared it with him, he was impressed by how Smith was able to break through the incomplete interpretations imposed on him and speak in a fresh way to contemporary readers.

“Adam Smith is dead, but he's not dead,” said Alvarez. “People in the group would share things they read about Smith in The Economist, The Wall Street Journal or The Nation, and we found ourselves in a position to evaluate the claims that were being made. The thing that we came away with overall is that the two-dimensional use of Smith in some sort of simplified political way just didn't hold up.”

As an academic and intellectual exercise, Alvarez was pleased with the work that was accomplished and the interactions that were shared. But perhaps the most gratifying aspect of the entire project was the way it drew the 91短视频 community together around a shared desire to learn, regardless of their different stages in life.

“I got feedback about how much the alumni enjoyed the challenge because it put them back in touch with 91短视频 in an exploratory way. We always say that at 91短视频 you learn how to learn, and many people want to keep at it. This was an opportunity for them to do that.”