An Analysis Of Xunzi’s Economic Ethics Thought

Being the last master of Confucian School in Pre-Qin Dynasty, Xunzi had absorbed thoughts of hundreds of schools and had created a philosophy of his own, which was miscellaneous and profound&rich and sincere. Being an epitome of his whole thought system, Xunzi’s economic ethics thought still manages to maintain its charm through thousands of years’trials and tribulations. The modern interpretation of Xunzi’s economic ethics thought has drawn out a thought embryo which could adapt to Chinese social modernization and provide important resources for the development of socialist market economy, not to mention the referential significance of putting normative role of morality towards economy to good use.The theory of evil human nature is the logical starting point and metaphysical foundation of Xunzi’s economic ethics thought. On the one hand, Xunzi probes into the human nature from natural attribute and considers that "human nature is originally evil". Besides, he believes in that evil originates from obeying desires and human’s material desire is the driving force for the occurrence and development of economic activities. On the other hand, he also points out that the difference between humans and beasts lies in humans’moral attribute-humans can "train themselves out of human nature" and then realize the "combination between human nature and deliberate effort". Their combination indicates the unity of human’s natural attribute and social attribute.The debate over justice and benefit is the main line of Xunzi’s economic ethics thought. Xunzi talks about justice and benefit from the perspective of pseudo-human nature and endows them with a brand-new value orientation-"human beings have both justice and benefit". As the successor of Confucius’ thought, Xunzi adheres to the principle "justice being superior to benefit", which reflects his unequivocal characteristics of Confucianism. However the most distinctive feature of Xunzi’s outlook on justice and benefit is his emphasis on the moral function of justice. Xunzi’s proposition of "restricting benefit by means of justice " highlights the utility nature of his concept of justice and benefit.Taking the debate over justice and benefit as the main line, Xunzi’s economic ethics thought, which includes the economic development outlook, such as "a rich country being based on the rich people","making people rich with politics" and "abiding by the nature law", has penetrated into all aspects of economic activity. Besides, Xunzi also gives a detailed and profound exposition about ethical requirements of production, exchange, distribution and consumption process in economic activities, as well as the causes and principles of the social division of labor and class morality.Xunzi’s economic ethics thought had absorbed advantages of various schools. It is empirical, realistic but not transcendental, so the rituals condensed by objective spirit run through it. But the limitations of the age also make it inevitably bear the rank and the feudal character. As a part of traditional culture, the essence of Xunzi’s economic ethics thought can provide a starting point which contains a deep cultural connotation for the Chinese economic development. It enlightens us that Chinese socialist economic construction should regard " enriching the state and the people " as the purpose; The government should develop for the interests of the broad masses instead of minorities’; The government should make " restricting benefit by means of justice" as the basic principle to deal with the relationship between justice and benefit; The government should stress the importance of administering the country by morality, and combine administering country by morality and ruling by law; The government should also take " abiding by the nature law " as the basic concept, improve the thinking mode of union of heaven and human being, and promote the sustainable development of society.