‘The Poor Man's Son’ and the Corruption of Our Moral Sentiments: Commerce, Virtue and Happiness in Adam Smith
‘The Poor Man's Son’ and the Corruption of Our Moral Sentiments: Commerce, Virtue and Happiness in Adam Smith
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“穷人的儿子”与我们道德情操的败坏：亚当·斯密的商业、美德和幸福
DOI：
10.3366/jsp.2017.0149
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发表时间：
2017
影响因子：
0.3
通讯作者：
Lisa Hill
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Lisa Hill
为了有效地运作，现代资本主义依赖于那些表现出一种相当道德要求不高的道德品质的代理人;一种是贪婪的，金钱的，追求利益的，仅仅是谨慎的。亚当·斯密被认为是这一原型的关键合法化者。在本文中，我回应了斯密实际上对物质获取的价值持怀疑态度的观点，并探讨了他是否真的相信追求宁静和美德，特别是善行，比物质主义获取的商业世界提供了一条通往幸福的上级途径。我处理这些问题的一部分，考虑的作用，仁慈和同情的斯密的系统，部分通过分析的故事“穷人的儿子”有关的第四册的道德情操论。当史密斯叙述这个故事时，他似乎对世俗成功的不懈追求持高度批评态度。但这个故事的真实的寓意是什么呢？人们是否应该抑制他们对认可和物质成功的野心？
In order to operate effectively, modern capitalism depends on agents who evince a rather morally undemanding type of moral character; one that is acquisitive, pecuniary, recognition-seeking and merely prudent. Adam Smith is considered to have been the key legitimiser of this archetype. In this paper I respond to the view that Smith is actually sceptical about the value of material acquisition and explore whether he really believed that the pursuit of tranquillity and virtue—especially beneficence—offers a superior route to happiness than the commercial world of materialist acquisition. I approach these issues partly by considering the roles of beneficence and sympathy in Smith's system and partly by analysing the story of ‘The Poor Man's Son’ related in Book IV of The Theory of Moral Sentiments. As he narrates this story, Smith seems highly critical of the unrelenting drive for worldly success. But what is the real moral of the story? Should people contain their ambition for recognition and material succe...