西方思想经典课程论文2012年6月15日InterpretationofSmithandMarx’sTheoryontheDivisionofLabor邹翼091100056大三英语系B班Abstract:AdamSmithandKarlMarxsharethesameopinionintheargumentofthemainincentivetoeconomicgrowthbybelievingthattheanswershouldbethedivisionoflabor.However,thetheoriesofAdamSmithandKarlMarxcontradictwitheachotherinsomeissues,whichincludethecauseandthedivisionoflaborandtheroleitplaysineconomics.Smithbelievesthatthedivisionoflaboriscausedbythecommutationofcommoditiesandisbeneficialtoallmembersofthesociety.Contrastingly,Marxarguesthatthedivisionoflaboristheprerequisiteforcommutationofcommodities,andthedivisionoflaborwilldamagetheinterestofworkmen.KeyWords:AdamSmith;KarlMarx;thedivisionoflabor;laborproductivityThemajorspurtoeconomicgrowthisaproblemwhichgenerationsofeconomistshaveendeavoredtoexplore.AdamSmithandKarlMarxbelievethatthemainincentivetoeconomicgrowthliesinthedivisionoflabor.Boththetwogreateconomistshavetakenalotofstudiesonthedivisionoflabor.However,thoughbothSmithandMarxagreeonthepositiveeffectoflabordivisiononlaborproductivity,therearemanycontradictingpartsbetweentheirseparatetheoriesinrespecttotheroleandthecauseofthedivisionoflabor.Smithkeepstheopinionthatthedivisionoflaborplaysacriticalandpositiveroleintheeconomicfieldandbringsuniversalopulencetoallranksofthepeople.Itisthemajorsourceofproductivityimprovementsandtheessentialforcetopromotetheeconomicgrowth.Smith’stheoryaboutthedivisionoflabor,onwhichalmostallhisstudiesoneconomicsarebased,ispresentedinthefirstthreechaptershismasterpiece,AnInquiryintotheNatureandCausesoftheWealthofNations.Inthefirstsentenceofthefirstchapter,Adamsmithsays,“Thegreatestimprovementintheproductivepowersoflabor,andthegreaterpartoftheskill,dexterity,andjudgmentwithwhichitisanywheredirected,orapplied,seemtohavebeentheeffectsofthedivisionoflabor.”(Adam,2001:5)Tosupportthatidea,heprovidesafamousexampleinthefirstchapterofBookOne,thecaseofneedlemanufacturing.AnInquiryintotheNatureandCausesoftheWealthofNations,(AdamSmith,2001:5):Ihaveseena