Smith's Hidden Hand
Neo-classical economics holds that, left to themselves, markets will balance supply and demand relatively quickly. If equilibrium does not exist, it will exist in the future, provided obstacles to market functioning are cleared away. But this idea goes right back to the classical political economy of Adam Smith (and even earlier theorists).
Read more about this topic: Law Of Value
Famous quotes containing the words smith, hidden and/or hand:
“Every individual necessarily labours to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he can. He generally, indeed, neither intends to promote the publick interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it.... He intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention.”
—Adam Smith (17231790)
“Love brings to light the lofty and hidden characteristics of the loverwhat is rare and exceptional in him: to that extent it can easily be deceptive with respect to what is normal in him.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (18441900)
“[F]or women, like tradesmen, draw in the injudicious to buy their goods by the high value they themselves set upon them.... They endeavor strongly to fix in the minds of their enamoratos their own high value, and then contrive as much as possible to make them believe that they have so many purchasers at hand that the goodsif they do not make hastewill all be gone.”
—Sarah Fielding (17101768)