The Comparative And Contrast Study Of Smith And Schopenhauer's Sympathy Theory

Smith and Schopenhauer's sympathy theory put sympathy in the center of moral philosophy, This has provided positive sense for our today's moral research and the education. Although Smith and Schopenhauer have their own different ideological background and theoretical basis, They have reached similar ethics conclusions. They criticized the rationalist ethics, On the basis of theory of human nature,they put sympathy in the center of moral philosophy.They argue against the dominance of reason,but they do not deny the function of reason. But because of the person such as by Hume emotional socialist psychology influence, Smith comprehends and explains the term"sympathy"in a psychologic way.And in ethics,he pays more attention on the problem of moral judgement.On the other hand, Schopenhauer is highly metaphysical in disposition . He emphasizes the moral significance of sympathy and explains it in metaphysical terms.In ethics,he focuses on the problem of the foundation of morality.The difference of their sympathy theory mainly include three aspects: First, they made a different interpretation of sympathy; Second, based on sympathy, They have different moral judgment standard; Third, for sympathy thought they have different point of research .They thought the common features of sympathy, They all think ego heart and compassion is human nature and they thought that the sympathy is the foundation which the moral excellence forms. Adam Smith and Schopenhauer'sympathy theory criticized the rationalism ethnics, developed the emotionalism ethnics.Second,their sympathy theory based on the abstract theory of human nature. In fact they are embark from the selfish human nature construct its sympathetic system, This causes their morals evaluation criteria to lack the objectivity .But in theirs sympathetic view, emphasizes to person's sympathy raise, This solves the present age moral education problem and the construction socialism harmonious society regarding us has the positive education significance.