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国富论 In the Wealth of Nations (1776), Scottish economist Adam Smith asserted that the propensity to “truck, barter and exchange” was both the foundation of commerce and a given quality of human nature, driven by individual desire. Smith’s view that self-interest dominated the business relations that emerged in early modern (sixteenth- and seventeenth- century) England has had tremendous effect on how such relations have been perceived Today it is typically assumed, for instance, that the development of business relations weakened the spirit of cooperation that characterized village communityies and encouraged a spirit of individualism and self-betterment that ran counter to community interest.
However, such a view fails to account for the language that people in early modern England used to articulate their understanding of business relations, language that stressed credit, trust, obligation, and contracts, rather than self-interest. Throughout this period, most business transactions were conducted on credit, and the moral code of credit --- of plain dealing and of the keeping of promises---dominated the way in which business relations were conceived. Individual profit and solvency were important, but neither could be achieved without the trust and direct cooperation of one’s neighbors. As a result, buying and selling, far from breaking up communities, actually created numerous bonds that held villages together.
d (1) The passage is primarily concerned with which of the following?
A. Criticizing a theory of human nature B. Evaluating the impact of a particular economist on modern theories of economic history C. Chronicling the early history of the use of credit in business transactions D. Reconsidering accepted ideas about the history of business relations E. Explaining the decline of cooperation in village communities
e (2) It can be inferred that the author of the passage believes that economic historians whose views have been influenced by Adam Smith have failed to examine which of the following?
A. The power of business relations to shape moral values and beliefs B. The significance of human nature in shaping economic developments and social structure C. The importance of village communities in determining the economic well-being of a larger society D. The consequences for individual communities of changes in a country’s economic structure E. The actual language used by people in village communities to refer to their business dealings
c (3) The author of the passage refers to “truck, barter and exchange” in the highlighted text most likely in order to
A. lend authority to the argument that commerce is characterized by self-interest B. identify activities that embody essential qualities of human relationships C. indicate the terms Adam Smith used to define business relations D. represent the everyday speech used in village communities in England E. introduce key terms used in credit transactions in early modern England
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发表于 2014-6-12 11:07:36
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