Adam Smith is more commonly associated with the Enlightenment than with the Scientific Revolution. However, he can be seen as contributing to the scientific mindset of the time by applying the scientific method to such topics as economics and moral philosophy.
Smith applied an analytical mindset to observing the principles of a free market. Just like previous scientific thinkers like Galileo, Kepler, and Newton, Adam Smith looked for observable natural laws governing his fields of study. In his most well-known work, The Wealth of Nations, Smith applied the scientific method as well as critical observation and reasoning to define the laws of supply and demand. While economics is not a hard science (like physics or astronomy), Smith shows us that it can be governed by observable universal laws. As such, he might be seen as a contributor to the Scientific Revolution in that he shows that scientific laws can be applied to social-scientific topics.
The scientific revolution, which refers to the development of modern science, occurred largely before Adam Smith's lifetime; it began with Copernicus's 16th century writings on astronomy and ended with the rise of the Enlightenment in the mid-18th century, and Smith lived from 1723 to 1790. However, the scientific revolution was a major influence on the Age of Enlightenment, which Smith was a key contributor to. It was the development of the modern scientific method during the scientific revolution that led Enlightenment-era philosophers to apply scientific thought to social life, and create new theories and fields of study around human behavior using scientific principles. Smith's writings helped develop the modern field of economics; "The Wealth of Nations," published in 1776, is considered one of the first texts of modern economics. Therefore, while Smith is not considered a contributor to the scientific revolution, the scientific revolution was crucial to the development of the Enlightenment and the field of modern economics.
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