A Study Of Gothic Self - Interest Contract Theory

Gauthier,(David Gauthier,1932-) is a famous Canadian American philosopher, he has a reputation on moral social contract theory with new Hobbes’ in British and American philosophy, often be called "contemporary Hobbes". His moral theory, also known as the contract theory (contractarianism). He is under the influence of Adam Smith’s market economy theory, trying to find a moral theory which matches with the market economy’s. He advocated moral or morals by agreement can completely come from desires or preferences of the prudence of rational behavior in derived, as a result, the moral requirements and prudence requirements are in full accord. According to the studying of Gauthier’s contractarianism,this paper is divided into three parts.The first part focuses on exploring Gauthier’without moral perfect market analysis. Gauthier inherits the basic thoughts of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, argues that under the regulation of the invisible hand (self-interest), completely free market economy will eventually reach the results of behaviors are the best, the results are rational to acquire. Because moral requirements also should conform to the rational, therefore, completely free market is a "moral free zone, in the free zone, moral restrictions do not take any position."The second part mainly elaborates the basic idea of Gauthier’s contractarianism. Gauthier is trying to prove that moral requirements or agreement and prudence completely consistent. This part focuses on his analysis of the "prisoner’s dilemma", to defense (moral) the theory of constrained maximization.The third part mainly discuss the enlightenment and the problem of Gauthier’s contractarianism. The main enlightenment of Gauthier’s contractarianism is: Gauthier, using or related ideas in decision theory or game theory to justifying the moral rationality of existence in some way,his theory for our understanding of the moral problems of market economy provides a clear thinking, also provides the basis of understanding the objectivity of moral requirements theory for us.The main problem of Gauthier’s contractarianism is:If agent fully acted on the prudence behavior, then, will inevitably lead to collective action problems in practice. However moral agreement is to avoid the happening of the problem. Thus, moral agreement or moral requirements is impossible completely consistent with the prudence. Gauthier ’s theory also displays in the problem of rational prudence is not the only rational concepts, therefore, the moral requirements even if do not conform to the prudence, it doesn’t mean not rationality; To the care of vulnerable groups is not under the agreement moral consideration, however, any reasonable moral seems to should be considered to care for vulnerable groups.This paper argues that contractarianism by Gauthier under certain conditions (for example, under the comdition of’repeated prisoner’s dilemma" and under the condition of actors are not correct myopic individualists) can be set up, namely the self-interested actions under certain conditions could maximize limited consensus (namely moral consensus), because it is in the interests of all actors. But in the process of the consensus behavior tends to pay a heavy price. To avoid this situation, we need to act according to moral requirements, directly rather than just prudence demands. Also, the invisible hand of the market economy plays the role of optimal allocation of resources is also under certain conditions (the standardization-condition of market economy), and if allowing free market development, the implementation in the process of optimal allocation of resources, we will pay a heavy price. Therefore, we need directly according to the needs of people and moral requirements of the market supervision and management, eliminate all kinds of power rent-seeking behavior, for the healthy development of market economy to create a good environment.