An Analysis On Adam Smith's Theory Of Sympathy

Through the interpretation of Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments, this article analyses his theory of sympathy, striving to look for the juncture between his ethical thoughts and the moral construction of our country, so as to provide some useful ideas and references for the moral construction of China.Firstly, this article studies and analyses Adam Smith's theory of sympathy, summarizes the substance of his ethical thoughts. Then this article elaborates the influence of emotions, results, utility, the customs and habits, on people's moral judgments, and points out the enlightenment of this sympathy theory for our moral judgments. And then this article analyses Adam Smith's ethical thoughts about human nature, points out the inherent logical relationship between self-love and compassion, analyses the Adam Smith Problem. This article also elaborates his thoughts about the Impartial Spectator. These thoughts are very important for us to solve the dilemma of egoism and altruism. Then this article elaborates his theory of justice, duty and virtue, all of which are established his theory of sympathy. Finally, in the background of the current China social moral situation, this article tries to find some useful thoughts and theoretical guidance for the resolution of the conflict between interest and morality under the ground of market economy.According to Adam Smith's viewpoint, sympathy is a human instinct. It does not have the moral attributes of good or evil. Through the compassion, we understand the feelings of others. We judge other men's manners by the concord or dissonance with our own manners. When we judge in this manner of any affection, as proportioned or disproportioned to the cause which excites it, it is scarce possible that we should make use of any other rule but the correspondent affection or manners in ourselves. We will be influenced by ourselves. And we will have prejudice when we judge others'manners or affections. So the rule of our judgments will be different between different people. Every person will be from his own interests to judge others' feelings or manners. Thus, to the same manner, different spectators will have different opinions. Moreover, the doer's view of his manner is surely different with the spectator. So it will destroy this moral evaluation mechanism based on sympathy and deny the consistency and absoluteness of the rule. In order to eliminate the influence of subjectivity, and adjust the dilemma of egoism and altruism, Adam Smith put forward the conception of the impartial spectator. The primary function of the impartial spectator is to restrain our self-love. When the object involves to all quarters' benefit, we need to ask the impartial spectator for help to do a fair judgment. So the conception of the impartial spectator is a sublimation of Adam Smith's theory of sympathy. Through the impartial spectator, people have the same opinion in affection or manner judgment, and it improves this judgment into the stage of moral judgment.From the analysis of Adam Smith's theory of sympathy, we can find out that the construction of his ethical system is not from a individual perspective, but from a social perspective. The productivity is greatly improved by the division of labor and social collaboration. And it also determines that people can not survive without society. In civilized society people stand at all times in need of the co-operation and assistance of great multitudes. But if we want to integrate into the society, we must pay close attention to our own manners. Because each manner of our can influence other people, and also will be judged by other people. As a result, we will be praised or blamed by them. So the general rules of morality originate in the society. Without society, there would be no sense of right and wrong, we only have instinct. All human's manners would not have the properties of morally good or evil. Besides, everyone needs others'agreement. Because of this psychological need of others'agreement, people take care of others'interest, and constrain his manner. If there is no this psychological need of agreement, we would not think of right or wrong, and would do everything from our own interest. This psychological need is the feeling of identification. This feeling of agreement is obtained through the sympathetic mechanism. So we can say that, sociality, the need of others'agreement and compassion, are the three fulcrums of Adam Smith's ethical system.Facing the morass of economic development and the corruption of our moral sentiments, we need to learn from Adam Smith's theory of sympathy. Adam Smith affirmed the importance of self-love on the development of society, but also pointed out that indulge this self-love will harm the society. Adam Smith's theory of the impartial spectator combines the material needs and human needs, and points out a way to solve the dilemma between egoism and altruism. It provides a broad perspective and way of thinking for us to construct harmonious society under the market economic system.