Smith's arguments against mercantilism and in favor of free trade were a stark challenge to much of the protectionism, tariffs and gold-hoarding that prevailed at the time. He entered the University of Glasgow at the age of 15, and studied moral philosophy. His original interest in Christianity has been recorded as one that was ultimately rejected as that of a Deist, although this has been challenged. Adam Smith is sometimes called the father of modern trade in a world gone global. Imagine how much slower life would be had free trade not been encouraged and if hoarding of hard assets was the theme: economic life would be fairly bleak. At the end of his life, Smith had most of his manuscripts destroyed, and while some survived, the world never learned of all his final notes.