《管子》与《荀子》经济伦理思想之比较研究

【作者】 王琳；

【导师】 张英魁；

【作者基本信息】 曲阜师范大学 ， 伦理学， 2023， 硕士

【摘要】 经济伦理产生于人的社会经济活动,即在经济活动中做出符合伦理道德的经济行为、经济决策与经济制度以及在它们之中产生并作用于经济活动本身的伦理道德秩序和伦理道德规范的总和,它对经济活动中的伦理关系具有协调和导向作用。经济伦理在经济运行的内在原则中产生,赋予人们经济行为合理正当性,并对人的经济行为进行价值导向。《管子》与《荀子》作为两部先秦时期的经典著作,分别研究其经济思想的成果丰硕繁多,但是立足经济伦理思想角度,以比较研究的方式来分析二者的异同之处目前还无人涉及。当前世界多元文化激荡交融,中华优秀传统文化是实现文化自信,在世界民族之林站稳脚跟的根基,重新审视思考《管子》与《荀子》经济伦理思想,不仅深化中国传统经济伦理思想研究,更为经济发展、社会进步寻求伦理道德支持。春秋战国时期正值社会大变革时代,通过血缘关系来维系政权的分封制开始动摇,奴隶制开始瓦解。军事力量的比拼使得社会结构变革加剧,新兴地主阶级为争取更多的利益开始不断去挑战权威,世卿世禄制逐渐开始向封建官僚制度转变,中国也即将从松散的农耕社会走向统一的中央集权国家。生产工具的优化革新致使生产力迅猛发展,由此产生空前的经济繁荣也推动了生产力水平的进步,开始出现生产剩余。在追求“剩余物”即追求“私利”的驱使下,各种社会矛盾错综复杂,商品交换活动也开始繁盛。文明交融、开放包容的文化环境,使得思想家们纷纷开始打破固有思想的桎梏,促进了《管子》与《荀子》经济伦理思想的产生。结合春秋战国时期的经济形态的背景,从经济运行的四个环节,即生产、交换、分配和消费分别阐述《管子》和《荀子》的经济伦理思想。在生产阶段,《管子》与《荀子》皆主张农业生产仍是社会物质财富生产的核心,是使得国富民富的“本”业。《荀子》延续《管子》四民分业的生产者伦理,同样将民众按照职业分为四类,并认为不论从事何种职业都要从一而终脚踏实地。它们皆认识到人是自然的一部分,在满足物质利益的同时要注重生态保护,做到可持续生产。在交换阶段,《管子》与《荀子》都意识到想要国家富强百姓富裕仅依靠农业生产是不够的,要在发展农业生产的同时注重工商业对提升生产力和经济增长的作用,并对商业活动的主要参与者即商人做出了规范和要求。《管子》的“轻重论”在先秦思想家中实属独树一帜,这一超前的国家调控观是中国传统经济伦理中的独特存在。在分配阶段,《荀子》受到儒家“仁政”思想和“周礼”原则的影响,一方面主张严格采用等级分配制度,以差等分配来维护统治者利益,另一方面认为统治者注重保护弱势群体的利益。《管子》虽不强调绝对的平等,但是在“均地分力”的土地分配政策基础上主张“贫富有度”,在维护封建统治的基础上注重百姓利益的得失。在社会资源分配上,《管子》与《荀子》都以“德”“能”来进行人才选拔和考察。在消费阶段,节俭是中华民族自古以来的传统美德,《管子》与《荀子》同样提倡节俭,节俭是主要的社会消费导向,但过度节俭不利于社会经济的发展与进步。所以,二则皆主张遵循等级消费原则,只有统治阶级可以在掌握“度”的基础上奢侈消费以刺激生产需求促进生产发展。普通百姓还是应勤俭节约,努力生产。虽都以“礼”来区分等级进行消费,但是《管子》的功利主义倾向和《荀子》的德性主义还是有所区别。《管子》与《荀子》经济伦理思想产生差异的根源在于各自不同的哲学基础和人性论。因此也就造成了二者在义利观上区别。《管子》经济伦理思想的哲学基础是将道家的“道”与儒家的“德”相互融合,再加以具有法家特征的经济功利主义,在仁义礼智等道德规范注入功利的内容,形成一种兼收并蓄的、独有的经济伦理思想。在其唯物性的哲学思想上形成了物质基础决定道德品质的道德本质论。《荀子》主张“天人之分”,将人从自然之中剥离出来并提出“制天命以用之”,人不再受到“天命”约束,强调人的主观能动性和人的主体精神。《管子》认为人本自利,将人对欲望和利益的追求赋予了合理性和正当性,人本自利、趋利避害的人性论决定了人的道德水平的高低。“性恶论”确定了荀子经济伦理思想的基本倾向,生而好利是人的本性,进行经济活动本就是为了满足人的生产发展的需求和物质欲望,荀子的道德本质论也是由此而产生。“化性起伪”的过程即是人礼义道德形成的过程。《管子》与《荀子》作为中国古代两部经典著作,比较研究《管子》与《荀子》经济伦理思想,一方面可以对其内部思想认识的更加深刻和笃实,另一方面也可以在比较研究的过程中,丰富和发展我国经济伦理思想的深度和广度,为构建新时代经济伦理的和新时代市场经济模式的发展提供有益的启示,也为推动中华优秀传统文化的创造性转化和创新型发展添砖加瓦。更多还原

【Abstract】 Economic ethics arises from human’s social and economic activities,that is to say,it is the sum of economic behaviors,economic decisions and economic systems in line with ethics and morality,as well as the ethical and moral order and norms produced in them and used in economic activities themselves,and it has a coordinating and guiding effect on the ethical relations in economic activities.Economic ethics comes into being in the internal principles of economic operation,endores people’s economic behavior with rationality and legitimacy,and guides people’s economic behavior with value.Guanzi and Xunzi,as two classic works in the pre-Qin period,have made fruitful achievements in the study of their economic ethical thoughts,but there is still no one involved in the study of their economic ethical thoughts from the perspective of comparison.In the process of socialist modernization construction with Chinese characteristics,re-examining the economic ethics thought of Guanzi and Xunzi not only deepen the research of Chinese traditional economic ethics thought,but also seek ethical support for economic development and social progress.During the period of Spring and Autumn and Warring States,the feudal system that maintained the political power through blood relations began to shake,and slavery began to collapse.The competition of military forces intensified the transformation of social structure,and the new landlord class began to challenge the authority for more interests.The Shiqing and clan system gradually began to transform to the feudal bureaucratic system,and China was about to transform from a loose agricultural society to a unified centralized state.The optimization and innovation of production tools led to the rapid development of productivity,which resulted in unprecedented economic prosperity and promoted the progress of productivity level,and began to appear production surplus.Driven by the pursuit of "leftovers",also known as "self-interest",various social contradictions became complicated and commodity exchange activities began to flourish.The cultural environment of civilization integration and openness and inclusiveness made thinkers start to break the shackles of their inherent thoughts,which promoted the emergence of economic ethics in Guanzi and Xunzi.The background of economic form in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period,this paper expounds the economic ethical thoughts of Guanzi and Xunzi respectively from the four links of economic operation.These links include production,exchange,distribution and consumption.stage of production,both Guanzi and Xunzi advocated that agricultural production was still the core of the production of social material wealth,and was the "essential" industry that enriched the country and the people.Xunzi continues the producer ethic of Guanzi,which divides the people into four categories according to their occupations,and believes that no matter what occupation they are engaged in,they should be down-to-earth all the time.They all recognize that man is a part of nature and should pay attention to ecological protection and sustainable production while satisfying material benefits.In the exchange stage,Guanzi and Xunzi both realized that it was not enough to rely only on agricultural production to make the country and its people rich.They should pay attention to the role of industry and commerce in improving productivity and economic growth while developing agricultural production,and made norms and requirements for the main participants in commercial activities,namely businessmen.The theory of light and heavy of Guanzi is unique among the pre-Qin thinkers,and this advanced view of state regulation is a unique existence in Chinese traditional economic ethics.In the stage of distribution,Xunzi was influenced by the Confucian thought of "Benevolence" and the principle of "rites of Zhou".On the one hand,Xunzi advocated the strict adoption of hierarchical distribution system and the protection of the interests of rulers by poor distribution,and on the other hand,he believed that the rulers paid attention to the protection of the interests of vulnerable groups.Although Guanzi did not emphasize absolute equality,it advocated "the reasonable distance between poor and rich" on the basis of the land distribution policy of "averaging land",and paid attention to the gain and loss of common people’s interests on the basis of maintaining the feudal rule.In terms of the distribution of social resources,Guanzi and Xunzi both select and investigate talents by virtue and ability.In the consumption stage,thrift is the traditional virtue of the Chinese nation since ancient times.Guanzi and Xunzi also advocate thrift,which is the main social consumption orientation,but excessive thrift is not conducive to the development and progress of social economy.Therefore,in terms of consumption ethics,they all advocate the principle of hierarchical consumption.The ruling class can consume moderately and luxuriously to stimulate production demand and promote production development.Ordinary people should still be thrifty and work hard.Although they all use "rite" to distinguish the levels of consumption,the utilitarian tendency of Guanzi is still different from the moral doctrine of Xunzi.The difference of economic ethical thought between Guanzi and Xunzi is rooted in the difference of philosophical foundation and human nature theory.Therefore,there is a difference between the two concepts of justice and interests.The philosophical foundation of the economic ethics thought in Guanzi is to integrate the "Dao" of Taoism and the "morality" of Confucianism,add the economic utilitarianism with the characteristics of Legalism,and inject the content of utilitarianism into the moral norms such as benevolence,righteousness,propriety and wisdom,so as to form an inclusive economic ethics thought unique to Guanzi.In his materialistic philosophy,he formed the theory of moral essence that material basis determines moral quality.Xunzi advocated "the division of heaven and man",separated man from nature and proposed "adapting the law of heaven and making use of it",so that man was no longer constrained by the "mandate of heaven",and emphasized the subjective initiative and subject spirit of man.Guanzi believes that people are self-interested,which gives rationality and legitimacy to people’s pursuit of desire and interests.The human nature theory that people are self-interested and seek benefits and avoid harms determines the level of people’s morality."Evil human nature" has determined the basic tendency of Xunzi’s economic ethics thought.It is the nature of human beings to be born and make good profits,and economic activities are originally to meet the needs of human production and development and material desires,and Xunzi’s theory of moral essence is also generated from this.The process of "transforming human nature" is the process of the formation of human propriety and morality.Guanzi and Xunzi as two classical works in ancient China,compare and study the economic ethics thought of Guanzi and Xunzi,on the one hand,on the one hand,it can make us understand its internal thoughts more deeply and firmly.On the other hand,in the process of comparative research,we can enrich and develop the depth and breadth of economic ethics thought,and provide useful enlightenment for the construction of economic ethics in the new era and the development of market economic model in the new era,and also promote innovative transformation and development of traditional Chinese culture.更多还原