Labor exploitation! Corporate profiteering! Government corruption! The 21st century can look a lot like the 18th. In the final episode of a series, we turn to “the father of economics” for solutions. (Part 3 of “In Search of the Real Adam Smith.”)
John Ewell is an actor who lives in Kirkaldy, Scotland.
If you watch a lot of british tv dramas, you may have seen him playing a doctor or a hotel manager, a police sergeant.
But lately hes been moving away from acting.
Ive written two plays and im writing another one.
One of those two plays is about Andrew Carnegie, who made his fortune in America but grew up nearby in Dunfermline.
The other play, called the invisible hand, is about Adam Smith, who is often called the founder of modern economics.
He grew up just down the street from where John Ewell lives.
He's from here, and I always thought there was a story in it.
And Kirkcaldy doesn't do enough to perpetuate the greatness of Adam Smith.
That is changing.
Kirkaldi is preparing to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Adam Smith's birth.
The church where he was baptized is being restored.
There are plans for a museum and cultural center.
John Ewell doesnt blame his neighbors for not caring enough about Adam Smith.
He didnt really care either until he started working on his play.
Always aware of Adam Smith, but not entirely of his legend, of his contribution to economics, really, and to philosophy.
I knew about it, but as most people, you would find, actually don't know, they know about the wealth of nations and they know that Margaret Thatcher, the enemy, always had a copy of wealth of nations, the legend goes, in her handbag.
So I thought, wow, that's worth looking into.
You say the legend goes that Thatcher carried Adam Smith around in her handbag.
What do you think?