Every individual is continually exerting himself to find out the most advantageous employment for whatever capital he can command. It is his own advantage, indeed, and not that of the society, which he has in view. But the study of his own advantage naturally, or rather necessarily, leads him to prefer that employment which is most advantageous to the society. Smith, Adam. "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of The Wealth of Nations." The Wealth of Nations (1776). The Modern Library: Random House, 1937. N. pag. Marxists. org. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. This excerpt most directly espouses the idea of:

This excerpt most directly espouses the idea of: Invisible hand.

Explanation:

Adam Smith, used the concept of invisible hand to define the ability of a country's economic factors to regulate itself in relation to economic need, without the state being able to interfere.

This concept can be directly related to the text shown above. This is because, in the text, Smith states that when the individual seeks a more advantageous job for him, the needs of society will regulate that demand and, alone, will allow the most advantageous work for the individual to be the one that is most advantageous for society.

We can use it as an example that is currently happening. Let's say an industry is looking for a sector that offers advantages in selling a new product. As we know, it demands a high demand for alcohol-based products for cleaning hands, due to the coronavirus. It is advantageous for society to offer more of these products and it will be advantageous for this industry to produce these products. If this were done without the interaction of the state, we would have a great example of an "invisible hand".

throughout history, economists have always thought  ..