Adam Smith Conference

Adam Smith's

"Natural System of Liberty"

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the publication of Adam Smith’s Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Campion College’s Centre for the Study of Western Tradition (CSWT) is pleased to host a conference exploring the theme ‘Adam Smith’s “Natural System of Liberty”‘.

In 1776, Adam Smith published his Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, often considered the founding text of economic science. The Wealth of Nations defends what Smith calls the “obvious and simple system of natural liberty,” whose cornerstone is “the inviolable sacred right of property.” 250 years later, the Smithian or classical liberal vision of a free society based on the sanctity of private property has few defenders.

One goal of this conference is to consider the merits (and demerits) of Smith’s ideas, as elaborated not just in The Wealth of Nations but also in The Theory of Moral Sentiments and other works. Its broader goal is to explore from multiple perspectives the contemporary relevance of the classical liberal vision, as articulated not only by Smith but by his predecessors and successors in the classical liberal tradition.

 

Continue reading for the conference schedule and stay tuned for speaker bios and abstracts.

Purchase Tickets

Date

7-8 August 2026

Venue

Campion College
8-14 Austin Woodbury Place
Toongabbie NSW 2146

Open to

Students, alumni, faculty and the general public

Cost

Two-day ticket: $90 | One-day ticket: $55 | Student concessions available

Conference Schedule

Here you will find an indicative schedule for the Adam Smith Conference. Abstracts and bios will be available shortly.

10.15am Arrival and check-in
10.45am Welcome and introduction
11.00am Dr. John Humphreys
11.45am Prof. Paul Oslington: “Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham and Usury Laws”
12.30pm Lunch
1.30pm Assoc. Prof. Jeremy Bell: “Selfishness, Justice, and Beneficence in Smith’s Political Thought”
2.15pm Dr. William Coleman: “The Role of the Natural in Adam Smith’s Social Thought: Some Successes and Failures”
3.00pm Afternoon tea
3.30pm The Hon. John Ruddick, MLC: “Adam Smith's Impact on the Early Australian Colony”
4.15pm Panel
5.00pm End of day
9.30am Arrival and check-in
10.00am Prof. Chris Berg: “Technology and Productivity in Adam Smith’s Pin Factory”
10.45am Dr. Brendan Long: “A Summary of the Current Debate on Adam Smith’s Theism”
11.30am Morning tea
12.00pm Assoc. Prof. Gordon Menzies: “Western Fundamentalism?”
12.45pm Dr. Jonathan Cole: “Ludwig von Mises and Adam Smith on Consumer Sovereignty”
1.30pm Lunch
2.30pm Dr. David M. Hart: “War and Political Economy: The Smithian and Saysian Traditions”
3.15pm Panel
4.00pm End of conference
10.15am Arrival and check-in
10.45am Welcome and introduction
11.00am Dr. John Humphreys
11.45am Prof. Paul Oslington: “Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham and Usury Laws”
12.30pm Lunch
1.30pm Assoc. Prof. Jeremy Bell: “Selfishness, Justice, and Beneficence in Smith’s Political Thought”
2.15pm Dr. William Coleman: “The Role of the Natural in Adam Smith’s Social Thought: Some Successes and Failures”
3.00pm Afternoon tea
3.30pm The Hon. John Ruddick, MLC: “Adam Smith's Impact on the Early Australian Colony”
4.15pm Panel
5.00pm End of day
9.30am Arrival and check-in
10.00am Prof. Chris Berg: “Technology and Productivity in Adam Smith’s Pin Factory”
10.45am Dr. Brendan Long: “A Summary of the Current Debate on Adam Smith’s Theism”
11.30am Morning tea
12.00pm Assoc. Prof. Gordon Menzies: “Western Fundamentalism?”
12.45pm Dr. Jonathan Cole: “Ludwig von Mises and Adam Smith on Consumer Sovereignty”
1.30pm Lunch
2.30pm Dr. David M. Hart: “War and Political Economy: The Smithian and Saysian Traditions”
3.15pm Panel
4.00pm End of conference

Purchase tickets

Current tertiary students are invited to save 20% off the standard ticket price by using the code “STUDENTCONCESSION”.