论曼德威尔的“私恶即公利”

On Mandeville's “Private Vice, Public Benefits ”

曼德威尔的“私恶即公利”具有矛盾性和过渡性。他既肯定了在资本主义条件下私利对公利的促进 ,私利与公利在本质上的一致性 ;在价值评价上又采取了矛盾的形式 ,仍然认为私利是一种“恶” ,不能摆脱或抛弃基督教禁欲主义的伦理体系。曼德威尔的思想 ,为斯密对资本主义经济结构及其伦理性质的论证提供了准备 ,在对私利或个人利益的伦理评价上 ,他的“私恶即公利”的思想成为由中世纪基督教禁欲主义过渡到近代资本主义的个人主义、利己主义的中间环节。他的这一矛盾的命题对于我们在社会主义市场经济条件下如何看待个人利益依然具有启发意义。

The proposition of Mandeville's “Private Vice, Public Benefits” is a contradiction and transition. He had both approved that private vices can promote and accord essentially with public benefits; and he had adopted contradictory form in judgment of value, he believed the private interest is evil, he can't cast off ethical theory of Christian asceticism. Mandeville's thoughts have provided preparation for Smith to expound economic structure and its ethical property of capitalism. On the ethical judgment of private interest or individual benefit, his thought of “Private Vice, Public Benefits” has become the middle link from Christian asceticism of the Middle Ages to modern capitalistic individualism and egoism. Under the condition of socialist market economy, this proposition of his has a significance of enlightenment for us how to treat individuals' interest.