The Conquest of Bread · Character

Adam Smith

The founding economist of political economy, cited by Kropotkin to turn the master's own logic against the system Smith described.

supporting

Also known as Smith

First appearance: the conquest of bread

As a supporting figure in The Conquest of Bread, Adam Smith is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Mentioned as a foundational economist whose labor theory of value is followed by Marx, but whose teachings are questioned in the context of communist remuneration.

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Smith belongs to the intellectual scaffolding Kropotkin dismantles, the classical economist whose account of wealth and labour underpins the order the book attacks. Kropotkin's move is sly: he accepts the premise that labour creates value, then asks why its fruits flow to a handful. This tension between Smith's analysis and its capitalist uses sharpens the argument that abundance, not scarcity, is the real starting point.

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Character Web

2 connections

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Relationship types

Professional
Other

Character groups

Economic and Political Thinkers

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

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Relationships

Marx
professional · ambivalent
Marx engaged deeply with Smith's classical economics, critiquing and reworking concepts… How this plays out →

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In the story

Adam Smith appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Anarchist Communism
Mentioned as a foundational economist whose labor theory of value is followed by Marx, but whose teachings are questioned in the context of communist remuneration.
I
Mentioned as one of the economists (along with Ricardo and Marx) who taught that exchange value is measured by the amount of work necessary to produce goods.
I
Implied through the reference to economists who defend the current system.
XIV: Consumption and Production
Mentioned as an economist who begins analysis with production, following the traditional approach.
I
Cited as an economist who begins analysis with production, following the traditional method.
The Division of Labour
Cited as the father of modern Political Economy who advocated for the division of labor as a source of national wealth, ignoring its dehumanizing effects on workers.

Chapter companion notes

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