To this unproductive group, Smith ([0000] 0000, 000)
added “churchman, lawyers, physicians, men of letters of all
kinds, players, buffoons, musicians, and opera singers.”
Smith did not argue that services were not useful or unnecessary for individual well-being, just that some services were
unproductive in terms of his national wealth standard. He
noted that services such as those of physicians and lawyers
were “useful” and “respectful” and “deserving of higher
wages,” but they were not productive in the contribution to
surplus commodities. He did identify “those who undertake
the improvement or cultivation of lands, mines, and fisheries,” “manufacturers,” “wholesale merchants,” and “retailers,” in that order, as examples of services that were both useful and productive since they were necessary for the
production and trade of commodities