《国富论》的三得两失与思想传世所需要的条件

The Pros and Cons of An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations and the Preconditions of Thought to Be Handed down

该文是著名经济学家张五常在2016年9月11日上海社会科学院经济研究所学术会议上的发言整理稿。该文指出,亚当·斯密《国富论》的"一得"是通过对人性自私的刻画,表达了适者生存、自然淘汰的思想;"二得"提出了分工合作,并将其与市场进行了关键性的组合;"三得"是关注资源使用与收入分配,形成了经济学的架构。他的"两失"在于分析工厂时未能注重其合约安排,同时漠视了交易费用,而交易费用恰恰可解决人类在自然淘汰下的自相残杀。此外,新奇感、好品味和趣味性是文章得以传世的三个必要条件,能够传世的思想范畴需要反映出一个大时代的转变。

The article is based on the famous economist Zhang Wu-Chang＇s（Steven N.S.Cheung）conference speech at Institute of Economics,Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences on September 11 th,2016.Prof.Zhang points out that Adam Smith first invented the concept of the survival of the fittest and the natural elimination.Secondly,Smith combined the idea of division of labor with the market.Smith＇s theory on both resources allocation and income distribution,thirdly,set up the framework for the modern economics.Meanwhile,Adam Smith failed to pay attention to its contractual arrangements,and naturally neglected the transaction cost which could solve the problem of natural elimination.In addition,the novelty and good research taste is the preconditions for the thought,which should reflect great change of the times,to be handed down.