如何跟小学生聊2024诺贝尔经济学奖？ How to talk to elementary school students about the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics?

陪四年级小学生走路上学，路程 15 分钟，于是路上得聊点什么。今天早上，我说：今年诺奖经济学奖跟小学生关系重大。你知道吗？
Accompanying a fourth-grade student walking to school, the journey takes 15 minutes, so we have to chat about something on the way. This morning, I said: This year's Nobel Prize in Economics is very relevant to elementary school students. Did you know?

小学生很好奇：真的？（她大概知道今年诺奖是讲国家社会的繁荣失败与制度的关系）
The elementary school student was curious: Really? (She probably knows that this year's Nobel Prize is about the relationship between the prosperity and failure of nations and their institutions)

我：经济学家们一直在研究，一个社会到底是繁荣还是贫穷失败（像缅甸越南朝鲜那样），根本原因是什么？以前提出过好几个理论，而今年诺奖是发给了第四种理论。
Me: Economists have been studying what fundamentally causes a society to be prosperous or poor and failing (like Myanmar, Vietnam, or North Korea). Several theories have been proposed before, and this year's Nobel Prize was awarded to the fourth theory.

小学生：分别是什么理论？ Elementary school student: What are the different theories?

我：经济学家的第一个理论是人种决定论。例如，有的白人认为非洲黑人又笨又懒，更接近黑猩猩，而白人自己是智商最高的人种。所以，人种差异导致了社会的差异。
Me: The first theory by economists is racial determinism. For example, some white people believe that African blacks are dumb and lazy, closer to chimpanzees, while they themselves are the most intelligent race. Therefore, racial differences lead to social differences.

小学生：这个不对。（巴拉巴拉）然后呢？ Elementary student: This is not right. (Blah blah blah) Then what?

我：第二种理论认为是地理因素。赤道地区太热，没法干活，只能躺着，所以就穷。
Me: The second theory suggests it's due to geographical factors. It's too hot near the equator to work, so people just lie down, which leads to poverty.

小学生：这个有点道理。（巴拉巴拉）然后呢？ Elementary student: That makes some sense. (Blah blah blah) Then what?

我：第三种理论认为是文化因素。封建社会三纲五常，父为子纲，君为臣纲，对错的标准都是规定好的，而且这个标准不对，社会没法创新。一个家庭都靠爹，怎么能指望这个爹刚好是聪明绝顶呢？而且，一个人再聪明也托不起所有人啊。
Me: The third theory suggests it's due to cultural factors. In feudal society, the three cardinal guides and five constant virtues dictate that the father is the guide for the son, and the ruler is the guide for the minister. The standards of right and wrong are predetermined, and these standards are incorrect, hindering societal innovation. If a family relies entirely on the father, how can you expect that father to be exceptionally wise? Moreover, no matter how smart one person is, they can't support everyone.

小学生：（巴拉巴拉）然后呢？ Elementary student: (Blah blah blah) Then what?

我：第四种理论这次得了诺奖。经济学家发现，虽然人种、地理和文化因素都有影响，但是决定社会繁荣还是失败的，关键因素是制度！聪明靠不住，好心肠靠不住，制度才起决定作用。你知道这个诺奖理论为啥跟小学生有重大关系吗？
Me: The fourth theory won the Nobel Prize this time. Economists have found that although race, geography, and cultural factors all have an impact, the key factor that determines whether a society prospers or fails is the system! Intelligence is unreliable, good intentions are unreliable, only the system plays a decisive role. Do you know why this Nobel Prize theory has a significant relationship with elementary school students?

小学生：有啥关系？ Elementary student: What relationship?

我：不论是大社会，还是小家庭，制度都是决定因素。我们家不是刚成功实现了民主化进程了嘛（三口之家，建立了少数服从多数的决策标准，例如吃饭去哪家餐馆，周末去哪里，投票表决），这个能一定程度上实现公平；我们昨天放学聊了“自由”（用小学生的话讨论了不伤害原则、消极自由、积极自由、多数人的暴政等话题），它和民主原则一起，能保证基本的公平。
Me: Whether it's a large society or a small family, the system is the determining factor. Didn't our family just successfully achieve democratization (a family of three, establishing a decision-making standard where the minority obeys the majority, such as choosing which restaurant to eat at or where to go on weekends, decided by voting), this can achieve fairness to some extent; yesterday after school, we talked about "freedom" (discussed topics like the principle of non-harm, negative freedom, positive freedom, and the tyranny of the majority in terms a child can understand), and together with democratic principles, it can ensure basic fairness.

小学生：是的，只有公平了，人才能开心。（巴拉巴拉）
Elementary student: Yes, only with fairness can people be happy. (Blah blah blah)

我：对啊。如果父母嘴上都说“为了你好”，然后只要心情不好，在公司被领导骂了，回家就拿娃出气，这样就伤害了小学生的自由，免于受到人身伤害的消极自由；另外，没有民主制度，父母一旦被外部煽动，被焦虑绑架，给孩子搞教培和教育内卷，这也是害了孩子……
Me: Exactly. If parents always say "it's for your own good," but then take out their bad mood on the child after being scolded by their boss at work, it harms the child's freedom, the negative freedom from personal harm; moreover, without a democratic system, if parents are incited by external factors and driven by anxiety to push their children into excessive education and training, it also harms the child...

小学生：（巴拉巴拉）不公平的话，对大人小孩都不好。
Elementary student: (Blah blah blah) Unfair words are bad for both adults and children.

我：是啊，我们在家庭里实现民主化进程，引入了自由和公平的制度原则，在这个制度保障下，我们才能快乐，才谈得上“对幸福的追求”。
Me: Yes, we are implementing a democratization process in the family, introducing principles of freedom and fairness. Under this system's protection, we can be happy and talk about "the pursuit of happiness."

小学生：到学校啦。88！ Elementary student: Arrived at school. Bye-bye!

看着小学生蹦蹦跳跳走进校门，我决定读一下《国家为什么失败》。要是不读书的话，平时跟娃聊些什么啊？
Watching the elementary student hop and skip into the school gate, I decided to read "Why Nations Fail." If I don't read, what would I talk about with the kid on a daily basis?

附上小学生在三年级的一幅画：《小人国大战螃蟹》 Attached is a drawing by the elementary student in third grade: "The Battle of the Little People and the Crabs."