For other authors of this name, see Adam Smith. Wealth of Nations (1776) of Scottish political economist and philosopher Adam Smith laid the foundations of classical free-market theory. Despite the unknown exact date, authorities recorded his baptism on 16 June 1723 at Kirkcaldy. This pioneer among the key figures of the Enlightenment authored The Theory of Moral Sentiments . People consider the first modern work of economics as his magnum opus and widely cite this father. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam\_Smith