国家、福祉与改良--再论亚当·斯密的政府观

State,Blessings and Improvement——RethinkingAdam Smith's Views on Government

18世纪苏格兰启蒙思想家亚当·斯密的政府观,与当时的英国及苏格兰社会息息相关。斯密从现代商业社会的视角,将“普遍富裕”与“自然自由”视为人类所能实现的两个最大福祉;认为普遍富裕的实现要以自然自由为前提,自然自由的实现需以制度为保障。为此,现代商业社会的政府在履行三大基本职能之外,还要承担不断改革旧弊之责任。“伟大的立法者”,区别于“体系人”,善于将人为设计与自然秩序结合起来,实施稳健的社会改良。斯密的政府观,折射出其政治学说以人类福祉为旨归的务实和公益属性,体现了他将经济引入政治学领域的开创性贡献,推动了19世纪英国政府施政策略的彻底转向。

The government views of Adam Smith,the Scottish Enlightenment thinker in the 18th century,was closely related to the British and Scottish society at that time.Smith regarded"general opulence"and"natural freedom"as the two greatest blessings that human beings could achievein the modern commercial society.He held that the realization of general opulence should be based on the premise of natural freedom,and the realization of natural freedom should be guaranteed by the institution.Therefore,the government in the modern commercial society should not only perform the three basic functions,but also undertake the responsibility of constantly reforming the old disadvantages.The"great legislator",different from the"system man",should be good at combining the artificial design with the natural order to implement the steady social reform.Smith's views on government above showed the pragmatism and commonweal atribute of his political theory aiming at human welfare,reflected his pioneering contribution of introducing economics to the field of politics,and promoted the complete policy change of the British government in the 19th century.