Trabalho e troca: Adam Smith e o surgimento do discurso econômico

This article explores why Smith's work is a turning point in the history of economic thought. The constitution of an economic discourse and the delimitation of the economy sphere are attributed to: i) the specific nature of Smith's moral philosophy; ii) his way of conceiving economic action as composing an ontological domain structured upon two axis: labor and exchange. The text indicates the connections between Smith's moral philosophy and his economic thought, suggesting that the conventional interpretations underestimate their variety and complexity.