鲁滨逊的贸易与劳动:笛福对海洋帝国的政治经济学批判

Robinson Crusoe’s Trade and Labour:Daniel Defoe’s Critique of Political Economy of Maritime Empires

《鲁滨逊漂流记》是一个具有浓厚社会理论色彩的寓言。鲁滨逊的故事不只是欧洲社会形式变革的产物,也是西方文明扩张的产物。在笛福看来,小说是一种特殊的历史写作,《鲁滨逊漂流记》也表达了他对时代与政治的思考。笛福借助鲁滨逊的航行来展示他对时代的观察,揭示远洋贸易对殖民地的奴役,批判海洋帝国在根基上的不正义。荒岛上的鲁滨逊是一个隐喻,旨在呈现生产与秩序的自然法则,展示财富与文明的自然基础。通过对文明与野蛮习俗本源的追索,笛福也消除了它们之间的对立,将其纳入连续而统一的历史进程。在笛福的历史视野中,我们可以发现一种自然与文明的辩证法。依据这种辩证法,在合乎自然正义的法律秩序中,不同的文明传统可以实现沟通与交流。

From the perspective of social theory,Daniel Defoe’s Novel Robinson Crusoe is a fable of importance.The tale of Robinson Crusoe is a product not just of the European social transformation but also of the expansion of western civilization.In Defoe’s view,fiction was a special kind of historical writing.In Robinson Crusoe,he expressed his thoughts on the social and political order of his time.Through Robinson’s adventure,Defoe exposed the enslavement of colonies by European countries,and criticised the injustice of maritime empires at their foundation.In the desert island,Robinson used his hands to meet his own needs,creat wealth and restore the civilisation.The Robison in island was a metaphor that presented the natural laws of production and order,and demonstrated the natural foundation of wealth and civilisation.For Defoe,wealth and civilisation were rooted in natural reason and human labor.More importantly,through Robinson’s interaction with Friday,Defoe allowed the readers to see the noble nature of“barbarians”.By searching for the origins of civilisation and barbarism,Defoe removed their opposition and placed them in a continuous and unified historical process.The distinction between literary and wild could only reflect the difference between production techniques and customs.Civilised and barbarous society shared the same human foundations and moral laws.A unified system of political economy,which conforms to the laws of natural justice and involves different traditions of civilisation,can lay its foundation on the common human nature.In Defoe’s view of history,we can find a dialectic of nature and civilisation,according to which,different civilisations and traditions can communicate and cooperate with each other.