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             Adam Smith.

             Smith's philosophies helped separate the study of economics into its own field, so much so that Smith's theories form the foundation for classical economics. Smith was adamantly against the idea of government stockpiling money. Instead, he advocated the concept of free trade, despite popular and governmental opposition to the idea. Smith believed that increased wages would lead to increased production, which is best understood by looking at Smith's emphasis on labor's role in the economic system. Smith believed that labor was the most important resource in the economic system.

             Furthermore, Smith believed in the idea of a free market, which he believed was guided by an invisible hand to produce the right amount of each product. The way the invisible hand guides the market is that prices for scarce items increase, which provides an incentive for people to produce those items. Similarly, prices for abundant items falls, which leads people out of the production of those items. Because Smith believed in the concept of a free market and how the market could naturally determine price and production, he argued against the formation of monopolies. In addition, Smith did not believe in governmental interference in the economy. He believed that government interference hindered the natural progression of economic development and created artificially high prices, which interfered with the operation of the free market. One of Smith's beliefs about the free market was that the success of the free market did not depend upon the selflessness of those involved in the market. Even if each member of the free market acted solely in their own best interests, their doing so promotes both the free market and the economy as a whole. This is because each person seeks to make the most profit, which encourages them to seek the lowest price for their own supplies, which they then sell at the going market rate.