The theory of moral sentiments tries to answer the question, why do we do anything that isn't just for ourselves? Smith was interested in understanding why that was the case and that was what his book was about. "He's one of the rare people writing in the 18th century that you can read with utter delight and pleasure most of the time"
Economists and politicians have turned him into a mascot for free-market ideology. Some on the left say the right has badly misread him. Prepare for a very Smithy tug of war. (Part 2 of “In Search of the Real Adam Smith.”)