Discussion

1. Enumerate the questions that are raised in the text. Place them in order of importance. Explain your choice.

2. Each fundamental question is supported by examples in the text. Those examples are only typical of the United States. Think of such an illustration of the fundamental questions that would be typical of Russia. Give convincing reasons to support your responses.

UNIT 6. ADAM SMITH: A STUDENT AND A LECTURER

Assignment 1. Remember the meaning of the following words and word- combinations:

to baptize

major

nation

to follow

medieval

to endow

salary

timetable

main

to take place

to quiz

optional topic

curriculum

modern

vivid

flourishing

to influence

view

to reject

scholarship

in fact

the “Oxford Movement”

fellow

fellowship

prize

membership

wealthy

effectively

крестить

главный

нация, государство, страна

следовать; придерживаться

средневековый

обеспечивать постоянным доходом;

делать вклад

жалованье; оклад

расписание

главный, основной

иметь место, случаться

производить опрос

необязательный курс, курс по выбору

курс обучения; учебный план, программа

современный

яркий

процветающий

влиять, оказывать влияние

взгляд, мнение, точка зрения

отвергать

ученость; стипендия

фактически, на самом деле, в действительности

the religious revival (возрождение) in the University of the 1840s

член колледжа

компания; товарищество

награда, приз, премия

членство; звание члена

богатый; состоятельный

действительно

duty

private

own fault

to endanger one`s health

excessive

prayer

to run out

sponsor

essentially

private enterprise

to attach

graduation

to pay a fee

at first

to expound

obvious

natural

liberty

to proclaim

to appoint

moral philosophy

to contain

exposition

Invisible

to guide

self-interest

to support

division of labour

largely

unimpeded

Interference

commissioner

customs duties

painful illness

apparently

numerous

charity

shortly

Smith had nearly all his manuscripts destroyed

treatise

posthumously

essay

обязанность, долг

личный; частный

своя собственная вина

подвергать опасности свое здоровье

чрезмерный

молéбен; молитва

закончить(ся); истекать (о времени)

попечитель; покровитель

по существу

частное предпринимательство

прикреплять

окончание учебного заведения

платить за учебу

вначале; сперва

излагать; разъяснять, толковать

ясный, вполне понятный

естественный; обычный, нормальный; настоящий

свобода

провозглашать; объявлять

назначать

этика

содержать в себе, вмещать

описание, изложение; толкование

невидимый; незаметный

вести; руководить, направлять

эгоизм, своекорыстие

поддерживать

разделение труда

в значительной степени

беспрепятственный

вмешательство

член комиссии

таможенные пошлины и сборы

тяжелая болезнь

по-видимому, видимо, вероятно

многочисленный

благотворительность

вскоре

почти все рукописи Смита были уничтожены

научный труд; курс (учебника)

посмертно

очерк; эссé

latter

последний

Assignment 2. Practice the pronunciation of the following words:

to baptize, Edinburgh, social, inquiry, nature, causes, aged, medieval university, original practice, to endow, to quiz, optional, century, curriculum, mathematics, ethics, flourishing subject, to influence, views, doctrine, scholarship, seriously, wealth – wealthy, club, private, fault, to endanger, excessive, prayer, essentially, qualification, privilege, rhetoric, style, literature, opulence, to expound, natural, closest, logic, theory, other, exposition, invisible, to guide, division, labour, unimpeded, interference, commissioner, apparently, secret, numerous, manuscript, treatise, science, posthumously, essay.

Assignment 3. Read and translate the text using a dictionary.

TEXT

Adam Smith was baptized June 5, 1723, Kirkcaldy, Scotland; he died July 17, 1790, Edinburgh.

Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and political economist, best known for his major work “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”.

After receiving his elementary education in Kirkcaldy, Adam Smith entered Glasgow University in 1737, aged 14. This university still followed some practices of the medieval universities, for example in admitting students at age 14. Its professors still took fees directly from students: that had been the original practice in medieval universities, but in more famous universities rich people had endowed colleges within the university, which paid lecturers` salaries.

The Glasgow timetable was still medieval. The main lecture took place at 7.30 a.m. in the cold and dark. At 11.00 the students were quizzed on the morning`s lecture, at 12.00 there was a lecture on an optional topic. This was the typical student`s day in the 13^th century. But the curriculum was modern: besides philosophy (the main medieval subject), students took Greek and mathematics. The philosophy was modern.

At Glasgow Adam Smith studied under Francis Hutchison. Hutchison taught in English (not Latin) and was a vivid lecturer. He taught moral philosophy, or ethics, which was a flourishing subject at the time. Adam Smith was influenced by Hitchison`s views, but he rejected some of his teacher`s doctrines.

From Glasgow University Adam Smith went on a scholarship to Oxford in 1740, aged 17. He entered Balliol College. At this time, in fact until the “Oxford Movement”, College fellows did not take their teaching seriously. A fellowship was like a prize, membership of a wealthy club, which some enjoyed for a few years until they wanted to marry. Effectively it had no duties – fellows might spend their time travelling. If they read or wrote books that was a private hobby. Adam Smith wrote to a friend, “It will be his own fault if anyone should endanger his health at Oxford by excessive study, our only business here being to go to prayers twice a day and to lecture twice a week”.

Adam Smith left Oxford in 1746, before his scholarship ran out, and two years later became a public lecturer in Edinburgh. He had sponsors, but it was essentially a private enterprise: he was not attached to any university, those who attended his lectures received no qualification, no “privileges of graduation”, and they paid him a fee. His lectures were at first on rhetoric, style and English literature, and then on the history of philosophy and law, but later he took up the subject of “the progress of opulence”, and it was then, in his middle or late twenties, that he first expounded the economic philosophy of “the obvious and simple system of natural liberty” which he was later to proclaim to the world.

In about 1750 he met David Hume, who became one of the closest of his many friends. Smith was appointed professor of logic (1751) and later of moral philosophy at Glasgow. In 1759 he published “The Theory of Moral Sentiments”, which was on human nature.

Returning to Kirkcaldy in 1767 he spent much of the next nine years there and in London working on “The Wealth of Nations”. Published in 1776, this work contained, among other things, Smith`s famous exposition of the “invisible hand” of competition as guiding an economic system based on individual self-interest. In the book, he continued supporting a system of “natural liberty” based on the free division of labour and largely unimpeded by government interference.

After being appointed commissioner of customs and of salt duties for Scotland in 1777, he went to live in Edinburgh with his mother. He died there in 1790 after a painful illness. He had apparently devoted a considerable part of his income to numerous secret acts of charity.

Shortly before his death Smith had nearly all his manuscripts destroyed. In his last years he seems to have been planning two major treatises, one on the theory and history of law and one on the sciences and arts. The posthumously published “Essays on Philosophical Subjects” (1795) probably contains parts of what would have been the latter treatise.

Assignment 4. Find in the text English equivalents for the following Russian phrases:

необязательный курс (курс по выбору); на самом деле, в действительности; член колледжа; проводить время; своя собственная вина; подвергать опасности свое здоровье; два раза в день (в неделю); частное предпринимательство; посещать лекции; платить за учебу; но позднее он взялся за предмет; самый близкий друг; духовные (нравственные) чувства; экономическая система, основанная на личном эгоизме; разделение труда; таможенные пошлины и сборы; тяжелая болезнь; отдать значительную часть дохода; почти все рукописи Смита были уничтожены.

Assignment 5. Fill in the gaps with the words and expressions from the text.

1) Adam Smith was a Scottish _________ _________ and political _________ .

2) Adam Smith _________ Glasgow __________ in 1737, __________ 14.

3) At 11.00 the students __________ __________ on the morning`s lecture, at 12.00 there was a lecture on an __________ __________ .

4) Adam Smith __________ Oxford in 1746, before his __________ __________ __________, and two years later became a __________ __________ in Edinburgh.

5) Later he __________ __________ the subject of “the __________ of __________”.

6) In 1759 he published “The Theory of __________ __________”, which was on __________ __________ .

7) In the book, he continued __________ a system of “____________________” based on the free __________ of __________ and largely unimpeded by __________ __________ .

8) He had __________ devoted a __________ __________ of his __________ to __________ secret acts of __________ .

Assignment 6. Complete the sentences in column A choosing the correct ending from column B:

A

1) This university still followed some practices of the medieval universities …

2) At Glasgow Adam Smith studied …

3) Adam Smith was influenced by Hitchison`s views …

4) A fellowship was like a prize, membership of a wealthy club,

which some enjoyed for a few years …

5) He had sponsors, but it was essentially a private enterprise …

6) Published in 1776, this work contained Smith`s famous exposition of the “invisible hand” of competition …

7) After being appointed commissioner of customs and of salt duties for Scotland in 1777 …

8) In his last years he seems to have

B

a) he was not attached to any university.

b) he went to live in Edinburgh with his mother.

c) in admitting students at age 14.

d) as guiding an economic system based on individual self-interest.

e) one on the theory and history of law and one on the sciences and arts.

f) but he rejected some of his teacher`s doctrines.

g) until they wanted to marry.

been planning two major treatises …

h) under Francis Hutchison.

Assignment 7. Answer the questions on the text:

1) When and where was Adam Smith born?

2) What was his occupation (profession)?

3) What university did he enter after receiving his elementary education in Kirkcaldy?

4) What practices did Glasgow University follow?

5) What can you say about the Glasgow timetable and curriculum?

6) Who was A. Smith`s teacher at Glasgow? What did he teach?

7) How did College fellows take their teaching at Oxford?

8) What lectures did A. Smith deliver in Edinburgh?

9) What works by A. Smith do you know?

10) When and where did Adam Smith die?

Assignment 8. Comment on the following. In giving your answers, try to compare the situation at the time of Adam Smith with what you are having at the moment.

1) A fellowship was like a prize, membership of a wealthy club.

2) “It will be his own fault if anyone should endanger his health at Oxford by excessive study, our only business here being to go to prayers twice a day and to lectures twice a week”.

Assignment 9. Look through the above text again. Give a brief account of the life and works of Adam Smith. If you feel that something is missing in your description, use any other source of information.

Assignment 10. Translate the following text in written form using a dictionary.