This paper aims to extend and provide a new understanding of Adam Smith’s thoughts by focusing on some revisions in the 4th edition of The Theory of Moral Sentiments (Smith 1774), “the nutritional value theory of corn” in the Wealth of Nations, and then comparing Smith’s discourses on the formation of morality with C. Darwin’s. Smith’s understanding of human nature extended and deepened with the study of botany and other sciences at Kirkcaldy after spending 2 years in France as Duke Buccleugh’s tutor. He began to understand human nature not only as a composite of self-love and benevolence, but also of instinctual and experiential knowledge. Thus, Smith’s system transitioned to an evolutionary one, and he became an unconscious forerunner of the Darwinian theory of morality formation.

本文旨在扩展和专注于某些版本中的第4版提供的亚当·斯密的思想有了新的认识道德情操论（史密斯1774），“玉米的营养价值理论”中的国富，然后比较史密斯关于道德形成的论述与达尔文的论述。史密斯对人性的理解随着在法国杜克·布克留格（Ducc Buccleugh）任教两年后，在柯克卡迪（Kirkcaldy）对植物学和其他科学的研究而得到扩展和加深。他开始理解人性，不仅是自爱和仁慈的结合，而且是本能和经验知识的结合。因此，史密斯的体系转变为进化体系，他成为达尔文道德形成理论的无意识先驱。