Weiser: George Stigler looked to Smith as the Prometheus of economics. He says it was a symbiotic relationship where Stigler loved reading Smith and he also happened to find the perfect mascot that coincided with his own views of what economics should be. Weiser: Self-interest in old Chicago school view is not just rational utility maximizing individualism. It's a human motivation among many and there are extreme versions of self-interest that are dangerous.
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.”)