“亚当·斯密问题”的逻辑张力

The Logical Tension of the Adam Smith Problem

“亚当·斯密问题”是指斯密的《国富论》与《道德情操论》之间存在着对立或不一致的问题,最初由十九世纪中叶的德国历史学派所提出。此后,随着现实与理论的发展,出现了不同的看法。学者们普遍认为,斯密的两大著作之间、经济学与伦理学之间存在着对立或者不存在对立,而是相互一致的。这些看法都具有各自的积极合理的内容,但缺乏辩证的观点,而没有看到“斯密问题”自身的逻辑张力,也就是说,“斯密问题”所指涉的是现实的经济与伦理之间及作为其理论表现的经济学与伦理学之间的关系。“斯密问题”所含的这些关系呈现出了一个动态的、由肯定到否定再到否定之否定的辩证过程。

The Adam Smith Problem means that there is a conflict between Adam Smith' s works of the Wealth of Nations and the Theory of Moral Sentiments. The problem was put forward by German Historical School in the middle of the 19th century. Afterward, the different views of the Adam Smith Problem arose along with the development of theories and realities. Most scholars believe that there is or is not a conflict between Smith's two works and between his economics and ethics. I think these views are reasonable but lack of dialectical view. These views do not realize the logical tension of the Adam Smith Problem, That is to say, The Adam Smith Problem contains the relation of economy to ethics as well as economics to ethics. The relationship and its theories show a dialectical and dynamic process from positiveness to negativeness then to renegativeness.