Study On The Economic Ethical Thoughts Of Huang Zhongxi

This paper aims to comb Huang Zongxi's economic ethical thoughts by the research into the economic ethics of Ming Yi Dai Fang Lu, Through analyzing their background, the author manages to trace their ideological origins and explore the impact on that time and future generations so that people can survey his economic ethics thoughts with a new angle and provide useful inspiration when establishing a market economic ethics.In this paper, three aspects are probed on Huang Zongxi's economic ethical thoughts. Firstly, in terms of the viewpoints on Righteousness and Benefit, Huang Zongxi critically inherits the traditional thoughts on Righteousness and Benefit. Based on a human selfishness, he advocates one public-private, thereby the rationality and legitimacy for personal profit is established. Secondly, with respect to consumption view, Huang Zongxi encourages frugality and opposes any cut in unnecessary civilian consumption. In the social background of that time, Huang Zongxi's consumer ideas have a positive meaning. However, this view of consumption has a negative impact on the industrial and commercial development. Thirdly, in respect to the viewpoint of ins and outs, Huang Zongxi puts forward that handicraft industry and commerce are fundamentality. This viewpoint challenges the traditional thought "heavy agriculture and light industry" and has important implications for establishing the moral legitimacy of handicraft industry and commerce.The author analyzes Huang Zongxi's economic ethical thoughts from two angles. On one hand, the paper studies its criticism and inheritance of traditional economic ethical thoughts in Chinese history. On the other hand, the author reveals the enlightenment significance of his thoughts compared with western thinkers' view during the same period.