고등학교 통합사회 교과서 속 애덤 스미스: 자기애(self-love)와 자유방임주의를 중심으로

초록

The purpose of this study is to critically examine the way in which Adam Smith (1723-1790) has been narrowly interpreted in high school social studies education as a thinker who merely emphasized self-interest grounded in self-love and laissez-faire. The main findings are as follows. First, the self-love that Smith presented as the motive for economic exchange is a concept justified within his moral philosophy through sympathy and the principle of the impartial spectator, and thus cannot be equated with mere selfishness or greed. Therefore, emphasizing self-interest based solely on self-love without considering his moral philosophy risks misrepresenting his thought as lacking a moral foundation. Second, an examination of Smith’s views on the role of the state in trade, finance, and education reveals that, while he valued the autonomy of markets and the function of prices, he nonetheless justified government intervention when public interests were threatened—even at the expense of limiting market freedom. This indicates that Smith cannot be classified as a typical advocate of laissez-faire. Third, an analysis of the 2022 revised Korean high school social studies textbooks shows that some still translate self-love as selfishness or depict Smith as a thinker who stressed only economic efficiency based on self-interest, while others equate his thought with laissez-faire. Such portrayals not only narrow the interpretation of Smith’s ideas but also risk fostering among students the misconception that economics is a discipline devoid of moral reflection and concerned solely with efficiency and profit.

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