Final answer:
The statement reflects a view similar to Marx's critique of capitalism, where economic structures shape political landscapes and the state serves capitalist interests. It contrasts with Adam Smith's ideas of liberalism and free-market economics, which advocate minimal government interference in the economy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'The creation of wealth underlies state power. Economics should serve politics.' could be attributed to thinkers like Karl Marx or to ideologies that prioritize the role of the state in economic matters. Marx argued that under capitalism, the state is a capitalist machine, serving the interests of capitalists at the expense of labor. He believed that the economic structure of society is the foundation upon which legal and political superstructures rise. This contrasts with the ideas of enlightenment thinkers like Adam Smith, who championed a laissez-faire approach, suggesting minimal government interference in markets for wealth creation and economic advancement.
Adam Smith, considered the father of political economy, analyzed the relationship between politics and economy extensively. His work laid the groundwork for the liberalism and the free-market economics that dominates today, although his ideas are continuously critiqued and expanded upon, including the role of political institutions in economic policy. Moreover, the statement also reflects the understanding that state wealth often depends on manual laborers at the bottom of the social hierarchy, indicating the inherent inequality within the state's structure.