对李嘉图经济伦理思想的一个误读

A Misreading to Ricardo's Economic Ethics

大卫.李嘉图开启了近现代自由贸易的全新时代,但对于李嘉图的经济伦理思想却鲜有梳理或是有所误读。李嘉图的经济伦理思想主要是功利主义的,其比较优势理论最为集中地体现了"最大多数人的最大幸福"原则,直到今天仍对诸多领域有一般性指导意义。然而,也有一些学者对其持审慎甚至批评的态度,并以"比较优势陷阱"误读李嘉图的经济伦理思想。这种误读从表层来说是使比较优势学说遭到了错误的质疑,从更深层来说则很有可能使得功利主义受到的诘难超越了其应该遭遇的尺度。

David Ricardo opened the new era of modern free trade. However, there are little thought, or misreading about Ricardo＇s economic ethics. Ricardo＇s economic ethics mainly expressed utilitarianism, the principle of ＂the greatest happiness of the greatest number＂ is most clearly reflected by his theory of comparative advantage. The theory still has general signifi- cance towards many fields until today. But there are also some scholars hold a kind of careful or even critical attitude to- wards it, and misread Ricardo＇s economic ethics via ＂Comparative Advantage Trap＂. The misreading, from the apparently sense, makes the theory of comparative advantage be wrong questioned, and from a more profound point of view, probably makes utilitarianism be blamed beyond necessity.