An Unfortunate Fortune: Adam Smith's Moral Stance on Modern Colonization Reassessed
重新解读亚当·斯密《国富论》中关于殖民地的章节，认为其道德考量强化了对欧洲殖民扩张的经济批判，并试图唤起读者对原住民怨恨的同情，引发西方集体悔恨与赔偿的思考。
Abstract Smith's long chapter of The Wealth of Nations devoted to colonies has given rise to conflicting interpretations, owing to its interweaving of moral and consequentialist (or economic) approaches to modern empires. While Smith is sometimes criticized for assigning moral considerations only an ancillary role, we argue, on the contrary, that these considerations reinforce his economic critique of European colonial expansion. We show that the chapter on colonies mobilizes a rhetoric aimed at eliciting the reader's disapproval by emphasizing the dubious character of European colonial ambitions, the role of fortune in European gains, and the severe injuries inflicted on native populations. By linking his analysis of colonization to his discourse on demerit, resentment, and injury, we stress that his concern for overseas populations is fully consistent with his moral and jurisprudential framework. By attributing to colonists all the traits of blameworthy conduct, Smith seeks to awaken the sympathy of his readers for the resentment felt by native populations, which, in turn, raises broader questions of Western collective remorse and potential reparations.