物物交易何以无法导出货币制度?

Why Does Barter not Lead to Monetary Institution?

在货币理论史上,几乎所有的主流文献都理所当然地认为货币制度源于物物交易。可未曾料想,这其实是一个足以动摇主流经济学根基的逻辑谬误。本文打算在梳理相关文献的基础上对此问题进行初步澄清。本文发现,斯密起初确立物物交易逻辑是出于捍卫自由市场信念的考虑,但这种纯属虚构的理论逻辑从一开始就受到货币演进历史逻辑的挑战。在货币金融史上,信用体系的存在远早于商品货币,表明"信用解"是货币制度的正源;对于货币制度的演进,信用是启动机制,交易是推进装置。由此引申,货币金融理论需要重新估价权威组织特别是政府等外生因素之于货币制度生成发展的重要作用。如果本文确立的全新逻辑能够成立,则中国货币演进的诸多谜团将会顺便得到合理解释。

In the history of money theory,a universal belief has been that monetary institution originated from barter.However,a careful review of relevant literature reveals that this taken-for-granted belief is a fallacy.In the paper,the author argues that the“barter”theory was created out of Smith s intention to protect free market.It was purely made-up and has therefore been faced with the defiance coming from the evolutionary logic of money from the very beginning.Historically,credit system had been in existence before the birth of money commodity,indicating that credit solution was the institutional origin of monetary institution.As for the roles played by credit and trade in its evolution,they were fairly different,with the former serving as the initiating mechanism while the latter as the motivating mechanism.In light of this assumption,there is a need to reevaluate the functions played by external factors like some authoritative entities(such as government)in the emergence and development of monetary institution.Given the correctness of this brand new logic,we will be able to work out the numerous myths in the money history in China.