亚当·斯密论“国家的智慧”

Adam Smith on the“Wisdom of the State”

围绕自然自由体系,斯密为政治行动划定了恰当的范围。在他看来,理解以及在历史中维系自然自由体系,进而弥补其相应的不足与缺陷都需要政治智慧和积极政治行动的卷入。换言之,在“看不见的手”这一路径之外,他也支持更为传统的通过政治实现公共利益的路径,也就是尊重社会逻辑的“国家的智慧”的作用。此外,尽管不像之前的思想家那样关注主权问题,斯密也为一般性的制度改革留出了空间,给出了实践和伦理上的标准。

Adam Smith delineates the appropriate scope of political action based on“the system of natural liberty”.In his view,understanding and maintaining the system of natural liberty throughout history,and further addressing its corresponding shortcomings and deficiencies,require the involvement of political wisdom and active political action.In other words,beyond the“invisible hand”approach,he also supports the more traditional path of achieving public interest through politics,that is,the efficiency of the“wisdom of the state”which defers to social logic.Moreover,although he is less concerned with the issue of sovereignty than previous thinkers,Smith still leaves room for general institutional reform,providing both practical and ethical standards.