On Adam Smith's Thoughts Of Economic Ethic

The western society has the attention to the economic and ethics very early. The economic ethics thought historical origin may trace to several millenniums before. Although as early as in ancient Greece time, especially in Aristotle's writings have already contained the richer economic ethics thought, but their thought haven't formed an integrity theory system. Adam Smith was regarded the first man made the high summary and showing the relations between economy and ethics from the modern knowledge shape, he proposed the foundation and premise about economy and ethics, founded the research mentality which unifies the economy and ethics. Smith in the western society reforming time, observed there will occur more and more intense keenly and more and more deep transformation in the social life, realized the old morality and the new economic life had the incisive conflict, must surmount the middle ages tradition morals system, create a new moral ethics theory, make it to become not only is maintains the market economy life, promotes the national prosperous and powerful new energetic factor, also can eagerly anticipate the modern society the value idea and the morality. It can be said, Smith's economic ethics thought is we study the economic ethics the most precious initial theory resources, we can obtain the extremely beneficial enlightenment and the teaching benefits.How does Smith construct his economic ethics ideology? He embarks from the self-interest, foothold reality economic life, regarding self-interest as the economic activity driving. Pursue own benefit not only have some validity, simultaneously, may cause other people and the social welfare increase, result of one kind of prosperity society condition and harmonious social order. The economic activity not merely to pursues own benefit, it also includes widespread division of labor, exchange and so on, therefore, it needs to observe certain ethics principle in thereality activity------mutually beneficial principle. Only respects opposite party freewill fully in the voluntary transaction, then can achieve the mutually beneficial. How can achieve the mutual benefit? The first needs one regular system to guarantee, provide a kind of exterior order and frame for the transaction system, also is the national law formulation and maintenance. To regular and justice principle carrying out, may draw support from national the authority, but one kind for the transaction system must the rule and the principle should become our intrinsic criterion, intrinsic quality and resorts to our aware behavior. This is the virtue which based on the economic activity. Smith's great lies in, he embarks from the economic activity inevitably request, proves the economic activity ethics need (pursue justice belong to ethics in legal part) with moral support (moral consciousness and the virtue belong to the moral part). Henceforth, the economical ethics can be established.