先秦儒家的财富动力思想及其现代意义

人类历史就是人类不断地创造财富用以满足人类需要的历史,不同的民族、不同的时代,人们在财富的创造过程中受不同的财富观念的支配,不同的财富观决定了不同的价值导向以及与此相联系的财富创造的动力和激情。先秦儒家的经济文化思想是中国经济文化思想的源头活水。儒家思想对人与人之间关系协调的重视超过对人与自然的关系,因而,更重视如何在社会各个阶级之间分配财富而不是如何增加社会物质财富的总量;在人与自然的关系上,儒家强调天人合一,不具有西方那种征服自然的强烈意识;对人们生财取利的经济行为的道德评价上,先秦儒家主张“以义制利”、“见利思义”、“富而好礼”,认为“义”是体现人的尊严和价值的终极价值;在对人们的求利欲望的分析上,把经济政治化、经济道德化,给本来作为手段、作为财富形式的金钱本身披上道德的外衣。受儒家传统财富观的熏陶,中华民族缺少了创造物质财富的冲动,但却营造了一个和谐的社会。在新的历史时期,我们要“致富思源”,这个“源”不仅是财富的源泉,而且包括那些对民族发展与富强产生积极作用和巨大推动力量的价值观、理念和思想。这就要求我们要以历史主义的态度和未来学的眼光去重新审视和重新认识先秦儒家的经济文化思想,并实现对传统的超越。

Confucian Thought about Financial Power and Its Meaning in Modern Times

With the development of human history, man has incessantly created wealth to satisfy his need. Guided by different beliefs of wealth, people of different countries and of different ages strive for their wealth. Since they cherish different beliefs, they have different value outlooks, motives to create wealth. China' s economic and cultural thought traces its source at that of Confucianism in ancient Qin. Confucianism laid more emphasis on how to regulate interpersonal relationship than that between man and nature and thus cared about how to allot wealth between different classes, not how to increase material wealth. As for the relationship between man and nature, Confucianism held that man and nature should live in harmony, which is quite different from the belief held in western countries that man should conquer nature. As to moral judgment on people' s economic conduct of making money, Confucianism advocated one should not forget moral principles at the sight of profits, and believed that moral principles represent his self- respect and his value. When it comes to people' s desire for profits, Confucianism made economics connected with politics and morality. Thus money was masked by morality, though money itself only represents material wealth. Influenced by traditional Confucian wealth outlook, the Chinese nation didn't have the impulse to create material wealth. However, it created the human being a harmonious society. In the new historical ages, one should remember his 'source' when he has acquired wealth. The word " source" not only refers to the source of wealth, but to the value outlook, beliefs and thought, which have exerted positive influence on our nation' s development and prosperity. We should reconsider the economic and cultural thought of Confucianism in ancient Qin from the historical and future perspective and endeavor to go beyond it.