# A Workman — The Wealth of Nations character guide

> A Workman in The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** himself, a workman

**First appearance:** 0011-viii-of-the-wages-of-labour

## Who they are

The artificer whose workshop is his only harvest: when he marches off to war, nature does nothing for him, and the public must pay his way.

## In the story

### [Of the Division of Labour](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/i-of-the-division-of-labour)

Generic worker used in the pin-making example to illustrate the contrast between specialized and unspecialized labour.

### [Of the Principle Which Gives Occasion to the Division of Labour](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/ii-of-the-principle-which-gives-occasion-to-the-division-of-labour)

Example of an individual who specializes in making bows and arrows, then exchanges them for cattle and venison.

### [V: Of the Real and Nominal Price of Commodities, or of Their Price in Labour, and Their Price in Money](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/v-of-the-real-and-nominal-price-of-commodities-or-of-their-price-in-labour-and-their-price-in-money)

The laborer whose real reward is measured by necessaries and conveniencies, not money.

### [Of the Component Parts of the Price of Commodities](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/vi-of-the-component-parts-of-the-price-of-commodities)

Laborer whose wages are one component of price; in early society, the whole produce belongs to the laborer.

### [Of the Natural and Market Price of Commodities](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/vii-of-the-natural-and-market-price-of-commodities)

Mentioned in the context of wages being raised or lowered by regulations and market conditions.

### [VIII: Of the Wages of Labour](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/viii-of-the-wages-of-labour)

The labourer whose wages are determined by contract; also the independent workman who owns his own stock.

### [X: Of Wages and Profit in the Different Employments of Labour and Stock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/x-of-wages-and-profit-in-the-different-employments-of-labour-and-stock)

Journeymen in various trades (tailor, weaver, smith, collier) whose wages vary by ease, cleanliness, and danger of work.

### [I: Inequalities Arising from the Nature of the Employments Themselves](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/i-inequalities-arising-from-the-nature-of-the-employments-themselves)

Referenced as a laborer who may accept lower wages in decaying industries.

### [II: Inequalities Occasioned by the Policy of Europe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/ii-inequalities-occasioned-by-the-policy-of-europe)

Workmen affected by apprenticeship requirements and corporation restrictions.

### [Of the Rent of Land](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/xi-of-the-rent-of-land)

Represents the second order living by wages; his interest is tied to societal prosperity, but he lacks time and education to understand or influence public deliberations.

### [Conclusion of the Chapter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/conclusion-of-the-chapter)

Laborers who live by wages; their interest is tied to society's prosperity but they lack time and education to understand it.

### [Book II: Of the Nature, Accumulation, and Employment of Stock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/book-ii)

Represents laborers whose work is supported by stock.

### [I: Of the Division of Stock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/i-of-the-division-of-stock)

Mentioned in the context of acquired abilities as a form of fixed capital, and as a laborer whose maintenance is part of circulating capital.

### [V: Of Bounties](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/v-of-bounties)

Referenced in analogy about division of labor and dexterity.

### [VIII: Conclusion of the Mercantile System](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/viii-conclusion-of-the-mercantile-system)

Spinners and weavers whose labor is affected by policies favoring manufacturers.

### [Chapter IX: Of the Agricultural Systems, or of Those Systems of Political Œconomy, Which Represent the Produce of Land as Either the Sole or the Principal Source of the Revenue and Wealth of Every Country](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/ix-of-the-agricultural-systems-or-of-those-systems-of-political-conomy-which-represent-the-produce-of-land-as-either-the-sole-or-the-principal-source-of-the-revenue-and-wealth-of-every-country)

Artificer or manufacturer whose labor is deemed unproductive, as it only replaces its own consumption.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/a_workman
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters