The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought

Recommended."--Mark Spencer, Library Journal. "Lively and accessible--of broad interest to readers in philosophy, economics, political science, and other disciplines."--Kirkus"Masterly. Easy to digest and smart

In contrast, Adam Smith was a revered professor of moral philosophy, and is now often hailed as the founding father of capitalism. The story of the greatest of all philosophical friendshipsand how it influenced modern thoughtDavid Hume is widely regarded as the most important philosopher ever to write in English, but during his lifetime he was attacked as “the Great Infidel” for his skeptical religious views and deemed unfit to teach the young. The book reveals that Smith’s private religious views were considerably closer to Hume’s public ones than is usually believed. Remarkably, the two were best friends for most of their adult lives, sharing what Dennis Rasmussen calls the greatest of all philosophical friendships. It also shows that Hume contributed more to economicsand Smith contributed more to philosophythan is generally rec

. He lives in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Dennis C. His books include The Pragmatic Enlightenment. Rasmussen is associate professor of political science at Tufts University