日前，湖南大学岳麓书院美籍教师Ethan Leong Yee (梁长轩)在国际期刊《Religious Studies》上发表高水平学术论文，论文题目为“A defence of merit transfer: Aquinas’s interpretation and desert theory（支持功绩转让：阿奎那的解释和应得理论）”。《Religious Studies (宗教研究)》属A1级外文期刊，注重从古典现代辩论和多元宗教的传统而来的宗教哲学问题的讨论，每年发表40多篇论文及书评。

梁长轩老师介绍，按照Joel Feinberg和大部分的现代哲学家的应得理论，应得的基础应当是关于应得的主体的事实，不能是关于别人的事实。但是有些传统宗教，比如佛教和天主教，宣称功绩或者功德可以被转让给别人。

该论文就天主教的“功绩转让”概念进行了深入探讨。在对功绩转让和相似概念加以区分的基础上，梁长轩老师运用阿奎那的思想理论，特别是其关于爱和关系的理论来解释“功绩转让”；同时，他回应了一些现代哲学家提出的异议，并解释了为什么说从字面上理解“功绩转让”更合适；他还阐述了“功绩转让”对基督教神学和应得理论的影响。

在梁长轩老师看来，这篇文章对正义平等和应得的理论性与哲学性的辩论有一定贡献。它挑战现代思想的“应得”概念，就是说个人按照个人的行为应得后果。论文使用阿奎那的中世纪神学和经院哲学，提出合理性的理论，解释一个人怎么由于别人做的事应得后果。这种理论挑战了个人主义，促进了公众/大众对正义和应得的理解。它也激励现代的学者思考古代中世纪的思想对解决现代的问题的贡献。

【教师简介】

Ethan Leong Yee (梁长轩)，男，1988年9月 出生，美国加州人。本、硕、博分别就读于加州大学伯克利分校、牛津大学以及哥伦比亚大学， 现为湖南大学岳麓书院助理教授。 目前主要从事欧洲中世纪修会、教会法、经院哲学、遗嘱、忏悔圣事和大赦等的相关教学和研究工作。已在 Viator: Medieval and Renaissance Studies (A&HCI), Traditio: Studies in Ancient and Medieval History (A&HCI)以及 Journal of Medieval Monastic Studies 等刊物发表多篇论文。

【论文相关介绍（英文版）】

Title

A defence of merit transfer: Aquinas’s interpretation and desert theory

Abstract

According to Joel Feinberg and most modern scholars of desert, the basis of desert must be a fact

about the deserving person, and not about someone else. This widely accepted notion seems self-evident. However, according to some religious traditions, such as Buddhism and Roman Catholicism, merit can be transferred from one person to another. That is, someone can deserve

something based on some fact about someone else, such as the fact that someone else has carried

out an action. This article examines the Catholic concept of merit transfer, first distinguishing it

from other contemporary qualifications to the claim that a desert basis must be something about

the deserving person. Then the article draws on Thomas Aquinas’s explanation of the central

role of relationship and love in merit and how it justifies merit transfer to address several objections made by modern scholars to such transfers. After addressing these objections, the article argues that literal understandings of merit transfer are preferable to metaphorical ones, and lastly some implications of merit transfer for Christian theology and the theory of desert more broadly are briefly discussed.

Value of Article

This article contributes to theoretical and philosophical debatesabout justice, equality, and desert by challenging prevalent modern notions that desert is based solely on individual’s actions or characteristics. I instead use the medieval theology and scholastic philosophy ofThomas Aquinas to suggest that there is a rational theory in which one person can do an action that can cause another person to deserve a reward. Such a theory combats individualism and promotes a communal view of justice and desert, but also encourages modern scholars to see how the thought of the past can be relevant to addressing contemporary problems.

Introduction to the Journal

Religious Studies is an international journal devoted to the problems of the philosophy of religion as they arise out of classical and contemporary discussions and from varied religious traditions. More than 40 articles are published each year, and the journal also contains an extensive book review section.