Adam Smith’s grave, the “father of capitalism”, was included in the “ridiculously biased” slavery of the Edinburgh City Council at sites related to slavery and colonialism.
Last year the Scottish Council began a review of Edinburgh’s relationship to slavery and colonialism in response to the Black Lives Matter movement led by human rights activist Sir Geoff Palmer.
The Legacy of Slavery and Colonialism Review Group will investigate whether monuments and street names associated with the harassment can be “reconfigured” or potentially removed.
The Daily Telegraph has included Adam Smith’s tomb at Cangate Kirkyard in a list of sites linked to “historical racial injustice”.
Smith was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century, known as the “father of capitalism” and a pioneer of political economy.
The grave of Adam Smith in Canongate Kirkyard (pictured) is included in the list of sites linked to ‘historical racial crime’
However, his grave and a statue of the philosopher at Royal Mile were included in a review of sites related to racial injustice in the city.
It is said to be due to evidence that Smith “argued that slavery was ubiquitous and unavoidable, but not as profitable as free labor.”
According to historians, economists did not believe that sympathy, politics, or religion could motivate owners to free their slaves, adding: “It is in fact almost impossible to end it completely or globally Has gone”.
However, it is understood that Smith was against slavery on “human and moral grounds”, telling his students: “We can see what the slaves had to do to live an unhappy life; their lives and their property as a whole At the mercy of others, and their freedom, if we can say that they have any.
Slavery was present throughout Smith’s life, and it bothered a deep pessimism about abolition.
A statue of the philosopher on the Royal Mile has also been included in a review of sites linked to racial injustice in the city.
Smith was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century, known as the “father of capitalism” and a pioneer of political economy.
He stated in his Conventions on Jurisprudence of 1763 that he could not think that slavery ever ended in a “free” society because of “the love of dominion and authority and the pleasure of men to do everything for their express order” Will be done. .
Historian Sir Tom Divine today criticized Smith’s involvement in the dossier: “Personally, I would not agree that a gravestone over the remains of the dead be treated in this way.” “
He argued that the Edinburgh City Council’s argument was “ridiculously biased and distorted in giving the impression that Adam Smith accepted slavery as a fact of life and therefore not objectionable”.
“It is clear from his lectures on justice, police, income and weapons, many years before abolitionism’s take-off, that he considered slavery to be evil and inhumane,” he said.
Sir Geoff Palmer (above) to head the review panel of Edinburgh’s legacy of slavery and colonialism
Inclusion is said to be based on evidence that Smith argued that slavery was prevalent and inevitable, but not as profitable as free labor.
Other monuments on the file include a statue of the Duke of Wellington, which led the British to victory when Napoleon was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
It is claimed that the “Iron Duke” Arthur Wesley was “pro-slavery” and “supporting the interests of West India”.
The monuments of Queen Victoria, Admiral Lord Nelson and poet Robbie Burns could also be altered or removed during the review.
The Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review was first met at the end of last year and is expected to conclude in December.
Sir Geoff, Professor Emeritus at the School of Life Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, said, “I consider this appointment a great honor and duty to work with the group and community to ensure that the Council for Equity and Justice The goal is all carried out. ‘
Historian Sir Tom Divine today criticized Smith’s involvement in the dossier: “Personally, I would not agree that a gravestone over the remains of the dead be treated in this way.”
They are expected to recruit other members to join the group from a wide variety of backgrounds and skills.
Edinburgh City Council chief Adam McVay said: “It is our responsibility to face the past, good and bad of our city.
“While this review is about the history of our city, it is not about the statues of long-lost people. It is about the people who now live here and their experiences.
“The Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted the structural exclusion facing people in all walks of life.
“We are committed to conducting investigations with communities and partners where such exclusions may exist in Edinburgh.
“Through this review group, we review the origins of our public statues, monuments and street names, and their context with events and meanings, and a better shared understanding of the history of our capital to ensure true stories with a future.” Let’s hope to make. Generations. ”
Coffee enthusiast. Travel scholar. Infuriatingly humble zombie fanatic. Thinker. Professional twitter evangelist.
