政治經濟學的哲學基礎、性質與方法論：古典效益主義思想家的觀點

The Philosophical Foundation, Nature and Methodology of Political Economy: The Viewpoints of Classical Utilitarians

梁文韜(Man-To Leung)

《政治與社會哲學評論》 10期 (2004/09) Pp. 33-82

https://doi.org/10.6523/168451532004090010002

摘要

政治經濟學乃西方啓蒙運動的產物，自亞當史密斯(Adam Smith)等蘇格蘭啓蒙思想家以降，西方學派對政治經濟學的理解有不少異同之處，從性質、方法論、目的、範圍以至道德和心理基礎等等諸多方面，不同的學派都提出各自不同的想法。效益主義(Utilitarianism)乃西方一個非常重要的思想傳統，自十八世紀末起對英國社會產生鉅大的影響，亦對其後西方哲學以至政治經濟學等多種人文及社會科學的發展作出重要貢獻。其代表人物包括邊沁(Jeremy Bentham)、詹姆士穆勒(James Mill)及約翰穆勒(John Staurt Mill)。本文探討三人對政治經濟學的看法，嘗試剖析其中的異同。文章指出同為古典效益主義者，他們對政治經濟學的心理及道德基礎有一定的共識，但在政治經濟學的性質及方法論上，他們的想法有很大的分歧。透過探討古典效益主義思想家對政治經濟學的看法的差同，我們不單對政治經濟學作為社會科學的一門有更深入的理解，對古典效益主義的哲學傳統亦有更清楚的掌握。

關鍵字

政治經濟學 ； 效益主義 ； 倫理自然主義 ； 方法論 ； 邊沁 ； 詹姆士穆勒 ； 約翰穆勒

並列摘要

Political Economy is a product of the Enlightenment. Since the time of Adam Smith, Western thinkers had different ways of understanding of political economy. Various schools of thought held different views of the nature, methodology, aim, scope and the moral and psychological foundations of political economy. Utilitarianism is a very important intellectual tradition in the West. Since the late eighteenth century, it has had great impact on British society and it has influenced the development of humanities and social sciences. The representatives of the school are Jeremy Bentham, James Mill, and John Stuart Mill. This paper examines the philosophical viewpoints of the three thinkers on political economy. It shows that they share some basic convictions of the psychological and moral foundations of political economy. But, with regard to the nature and methodology of political economy, they held very different points of view. Through the analysis of their views, we know more about political economy as a scientific discipline and have a better understanding of the philosophical tradition of classical utilitarianism.

並列關鍵字

Political Economy ； Utilitarianism ； Ethical Naturalism ； Methodology ； Bentham ； James Mill ； John Stuart Mill

參考文獻

A Fragment on Government, in J. Bowring ed., The Works of Jeremy Bentham

James Mill: Selected Economic Writings

Waldron, J(1987).`Nonsense upon stilts`: Bentham, Burke, and Marx on the rights of man.London New York:Methuen.

A Comment on the Commentariesa Criticism of William Blackstone `s Commentaries on the Laws of England

A Fragment on Mackintosh