Is there any specificity in the paratexts of translated texts in the social sciences and humanities? This question fits into work that has recently recognized the specificity of translation in these areas, and forms the backdrop of this article, which examines the paratexts of the French translation of Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Smith’s work, which represented a turning point in economic thought and marked the birth of political economy, led to a veritable “effervescence of translations” in France from its original publication in 1776 until 1802, a historic period of radical transformations in France. The result was an extensive paratextual activity that reveals, on the one hand, major controversies amongst the translators and, on the other hand, their commitment to disseminate new ideas, and even to transform Smith’s ideas for the good government of society.