Founded in 2017, the Adam Smith Centre is Singapore’s first and only independent organization dedicated to the classical principles of liberalism. As a non-profit, non-governmental, and non-political entity, we exist to advance the ideas of economic freedom, individual liberty, and limited government in the context of Singapore and the wider Asian region. While Singapore has achieved remarkable economic growth and global competitiveness, we believe that its development potential remains stunted by a lack of cultural appreciation for liberal values. This reflects a broader regional trend of authoritarian capitalism, where economic progress is pursued at the expense of liberty and open society principles.
We take inspiration from Adam Smith and the classical liberal tradition, which emphasizes the role of spontaneous order, market-driven prosperity, and individual agency in fostering human flourishing. Classical liberalism first emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries as a response to the dominance of mercantilism and absolute monarchy, advocating for the principles of free markets, limited government, and personal liberty (Schmidtz & Brennan, 2010). Adam Smith, often considered the father of this tradition, argued in The Wealth of Nations (1776) that economic prosperity is best achieved when individuals are free to pursue their own interests within a system of well-defined rules of justice. Smith’s ideas on the invisible hand, division of labor, and the importance of moral sentiments formed the intellectual foundation for modern capitalism.
Alongside Smith, figures such as John Locke, David Hume, and Richard Cobden championed the principles of individual rights, free trade, and non-interventionism. The 19th century saw the further development of these ideas through thinkers like Frédéric Bastiat, Alexis de Tocqueville, and John Stuart Mill, who articulated the case for limited government, voluntary association, and the dangers of state overreach. Classical liberals believed in a natural order that emerges from human action but not from top-down design—a perspective that continues to inform contemporary debates on governance, economic policy, and social organization.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, this tradition has been revitalized by thinkers such as Friedrich Hayek, James Buchanan, and Elinor Ostrom. Hayek’s work on knowledge, spontaneous order, and the limits of central planning emphasized that no single authority can effectively allocate resources better than the decentralized decisions of individuals. Buchanan advanced the case for constitutional political economy, highlighting the importance of rules and institutions in structuring incentives. Ostrom, through her pioneering research on polycentric governance, demonstrated how individuals and communities could manage resources effectively without centralized control. Taken together, these contributions underscore the enduring relevance of classical liberalism as a philosophy that values decentralized decision-making, institutional constraints on power, and the primacy of voluntary exchange (Henderson, 2018; Zwolinski & Ferguson, 2022).
A key distinguishing feature of classical liberalism is its recognition of individual liberty as the cornerstone of a prosperous and just society. This philosophy sees human progress as being driven by voluntary cooperation rather than coercion, with markets serving as mechanisms for mutual benefit and knowledge discovery. Classical liberals reject both absolutist state control and unfettered collectivism, advocating instead for a balance where government is constrained by the rule of law and exists primarily to protect life, liberty, and property. The principle of spontaneous order—where economic and social systems evolve organically without centralized direction—lies at the heart of this worldview, making classical liberalism distinct from both statist and radical libertarian perspectives (see Gaus, 2021).
Singapore, despite its reputation as an open economy, operates under a political economy of technocratic rationalism. The state plays a directive role in economic production, industrial policy, and even social life, fostering a culture of dependency and limiting individual initiative (Cheang, 2022). This governance model mirrors the broader phenomenon of authoritarian capitalism in East and Southeast Asia, where economic liberalization is embraced selectively, but political and civil liberties remain constrained. As a result, while Singapore has achieved material wealth, it lacks the dynamism, entrepreneurial culture, and intellectual diversity that characterize truly open societies.
We believe that Singapore’s continued progress requires not just economic efficiency but also a deeper commitment to classical liberal values. This means reducing barriers to competition, fostering bottom-up entrepreneurship, embracing polycentric governance, and cultivating a society that values debate, pluralism, and personal autonomy (see Cheang & Choy, 2021). As the only organization in Singapore championing these ideas, the Adam Smith Centre seeks to engage in public discourse and education to promote a more open and dynamic society.
Cheang, B. (2022). Economic Liberalism and the Developmental State: Comparing Hong Kong and Singapore’s Post-War Development. Palgrave.
Cheang, B., & Choy, D. (2021). Liberalism Unveiled: Forging A New Third Way In Singapore. World Scientific.
Schmidtz, D., & Brennan, J. (2010). A Brief History of Liberty. Wiley-Blackwell.
Henderson, M. T. (2018). The Cambridge handbook of classical liberal thought. Cambridge University Press.
Zwolinski, M., & Ferguson, B. (2022). The Routledge companion to libertarianism. Routledge.
Gaus, G. (2021). The Open Society and Its Complexities. Oxford University Press.