This publication opens the Anthology of Economic Thought series and introduces the reader to the main work of the "father" of classical political economy, Adam Smith, completed over 230 years ago, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.In this work, A. Smith summarized the ideas of scientists over the previous century, developed a system of categories, methods and principles of economic science and had a decisive influence on its development in the 19th century in Great Britain and other countries, including Russia. Even during his lifetime, A. Smith's book went through several editions and was translated into other European languages. In full translation into Russian, “The Wealth of Nations” was last published forty-five years ago (1962). This translation was taken as a basis, but clarified and corrected in a number of places.For the first time, A. Smith's edition is provided with a name index, verified with the most authoritative Scottish edition in the West in 1976.For scientists, historians of economic thought, graduate students and students, as well as all those interested in the heritage of the classics of political economy.