A metaphor for the principle that in a free market, an individual pursuing his own self-interest also tends to promote the good of his community as a whole
In short, Smith understood that the invisible hand is often benign, but not always.
An economic principle, first postulated by Adam Smith, holding that the greatest benefit to a society is brought about by individuals acting freely in a competitive marketplace in the pursuit of their own self-interest
term used to express the belief that individuals seeking their economic self-interest benefit society more than they would if they tried to benefit society directly