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Dscourse of 18th Century Political Economists
MAI Jin-Sheng
1996, 0(2):
45-55.
This paper aims at exposing the inner contradiction of the free trade theory of the political economists of the 18th century through examining their views on contemporary Anglo-Chinese trade.For Josiah Tucker ,David Hume,and Adam Smith,free trade was a necessary condition for the further economic development of England which had reached the threshold of industrial society. Josiah Tucker was so optimistic as to believe that free trade would profit all nations involved,particularly powerful nations like England.David Hume ,though fearing that free trade in the long run would benefit the poor nations at the expense of the wealthy nations，curtailing thus England’s advantages,saw free trade as a major force behind economic and social progress.Adam Smith，the most important free trade of the 18th century,emphasized that free trade should be practical at all times、in all societies.It was unfworable to England.It is surprising that only Tucker ,who was confident in England’s economic strength，maintained that England should go on trading with China.Struck by China’s potential to undersell all European nations.David Hume warned that Anglo-Chinese trade would shake the foundation of the English economy,and Adam Smith excluded China from the free trade community he designed.
It is true that the above scholars possessed little knowledge of China and they discussed China only occasionally.Their views on Anglo-Chinese trade，however，deserves our attention，for they not only unveil the 18th century political economists fear and even hostility to China，but also the narrow-minded nationalism that overshadowed political economy.
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