Abstract
This chapter looks at macro processes, examining the concept of progress through Smith's philosophy of history and explicating the role of historical inquiry in discovering normative claims. It argues that, as with Smith's moral and economic theory, his philosophy of history relies on dialective interplay between discovery of the ideal and the actual. The chapter contains two sections. The first discusses attitudes about Smith's historical writings and the second looks at his philosophy of history itself, showing how, for Smith, progress shows the “ought” of nature.