An Inquiry
into the Nature and Causes
of the Wealth of Nations
(1776)

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Title of volume I


Introduction and Plan of the Work

B o o k  O n e
Of the Causes of Improvement in the productive Powers of Labour, and of the Order according to which its Produce is naturally distributed among the different Ranks of the People

Chapter I.
Of the Division of Labour

Chapter II.
Of the Principle which gives Occasion to the Division of Labour

Chapter III.
That the Division of Labour is limited by the Extent of the Market

Chapter IV.
Of the Origin and Use of Money

Chapter V.
Of the real and nominal Price of Commodities, or of their Price in Labour, and their Price in Money

Chapter VI.
Of the component Parts of the Price of Commodities.

Chapter VII.
Of the natural and market Price of Commodities

Chapter VIII.
Of the Wages of Labour

Chapter IX.
Of the Profits of Stock

Chapter X.
Of Wages and Profit in the different Employments of Labour and Stock

Chapter XI.
Of the Rent of Land

Part 1.
Of the Produce of Land which always affords Rent

Part 2.
Of the Produce of Land which sometimes does, and sometimes does not, afford Rent

Part 3.
Of the Variations in the Proportions between the respektive Values of that Sort of Produce which always affords Rent, and of that which sometimes does and sometimes does not afford Rent

Digression concerning the Variations in the Value of Silver during the Course of the Four last Centuries

Variations in the Proportion between the respective Values of Gold and Silver

Grounds of the Suspicion that the Value of Silver still continues to decrease

Different Effects of the Progress of Improvement upon the real Price of three different Sorts of rude Produce

Conclusion of the Digression concerning the Variations in the Value of Silver

Effects of the Progress of Improvement upon the real Price of Manufactures

Conclusion of the Chapter

Tables

B o o k  T w o
Of the Nature, Accumulation,
and Employment of Stock

Introduction

Chapter I.
Of the Division of Stock

Chapter II.
Of Money considered as a particular Branch of the general Stock of the Society, or of the Experience of maintaining the National Capital

Chapter III.
Of the Accumulation of Capital, or of productive and unproductive Labour

Chapter IV.
Of Stock lent at Interest

Chapter V.
Of the different Employment of Capitals

B o o k  T h r e e
Of the different Progress of Opulence
in different Nations

Chapter I.
Of the Natural Progress of Opulence

Chapter II.
Of the Discouragement of Agriculture in the ancient State of Europe after the Fall of the Roman Empire

Chapter III.
Of the Rise and Progress of Cities and Towns, after the Fall of the Roman Empire

Chapter IV.
How the Commerce of the Towns contributed to the Improvement of the Country

B o o k  F o u r
Of Systems
of political Oeconomy

Introduction

Chapter I.
Of the Principle of the commercial, or mercantile System

Chapter II.
Of Restraints upon the Importation from foreign Countries of such Goods as can be produced at Home

Chapter III.
Of the extraordinary Restraints upon the Importation of Goods of almost all Kinds, from those Countries with which the Balance is supposed to be disadvantageous

Part 1: Of the Unreasonableness of those Restraints even upon the Principles of the Commercial System

Digression concerning Banks of Deposit, particularly concerning that of Amsterdam

Part 2: Of the Unreasonableness of those extraordinary Restraints upon other Principles

Chapter IV.
Of Drawbacks

Chapter V.
Of Bounties

Digression concerning the Corn Trade and Corn Laws

Appendix on the Herring Bounty

Chapter VI.
Of Treaties of Commerce

Chapter VII.
Of Colonies

Part 1: Of the Motives for establishing new Colonies

Part 2: Causes of Prosperity of new Colonies

Part 3: Of the Advantages which Europe has derived from the Discovery of America, and from that of a Passage to the East Indies by the Cape of Good Hope

Chapter VIII.
Conclusion of the Mercantile System

Chapter IX.
Of the Agricultural Systems, or of those Systems of Political Oeconomy, which represent the Produce of Land, as either the sole or the principal Source of the Revenue and Wealth of every Country

B o o k  F i v e
Of the Revenue of the Sovereign
or Commonwealth

Chapter I.
Of the Expences of the Sovereign or Commonwealth

Part 1.
Of the Expence of Defence

Part 2.
Of the Expence of Justice

Part 3.
Of the Expence of Public Works and Public Institutions
Article 1st.
Of the Public Works and Institutions for facilitating the Commerce of Society
Article 2d.
Of the Expence of the Institutions for the Education of Youth
Article 3d.
Of the Expence of the Institutions for the Instruction of People of all Ages

Part 4.
Of the Expence of supporting the Dignity of the Sovereign

Conclusion of the Chapter

Chapter II.
Of the Sources of the general or public Revenue of the Society

Part 1.
Of the Funds or Sources of Revenue which may peculiarly belong to the Sovereign or Commonwealth

Part 2.
Of Taxes
Article 1st.
Taxes upon Rent; Taxes upon the Rent of Land
Taxes which are proportioned, not to the Rent, but to the Produce of Land
Taxes upon the Rent of Houses
Article 2d.
Taxes upon Profit, or upon the Revenue arising from Stock
Taxes upon the Profit of particular Employments
Appendix to Articles 1st and 2d.
Taxes upon the Capital Value of Lands, Houses, and Stock
Article 3d.
Taxes upon the Wages of Labour
Article 4th.
Taxes which, it is intended, should fall indifferently upon every different Species of Revenue
Capitation Taxes
Taxes upon consumable Commodities

Chapter III.
Of public Debts