人性与人之无限追求

Human nature and infinite pursuit of human being

现代经济学倾向于认为,追求物质财富的增长是人的自然本性。实际上,这种所谓的本性是由现代性建构起来的。现代性把人性建构为赚钱加花钱,激励人们以无止境地追求物质财富的方式追求无限或人生意义,激励"大量生产——大量消费——大量废弃"的生产生活方式。这是对人类价值追求的严重误导,这种生产生活方式是不可持续的。儒家的人生意义论特别值得我们重新省识。面对全球性的生态危机,我们在物质追求方面必须安分知足,决不能继续以无限贪求物质财富的方式追求人生意义。创造能与地球生态系统和谐共生的人性的关键就是:在物质追求方面像猪一样知足,但在非物质价值创造方面永不知足。

Modern economics tends to hold that it is human nature to seek wealth accumulation.In fact,this so-called nature is constructed by modernity,which interprets human nature as consisting of money-making and money-spending.Modernity encourages people to pursue infinity or meaning of life by seeking properties without stop,which is misleading for human beings in their value pursuit since such a life style is unsustainable.Confucian ideas regarding the meaning of life are worth of our attention and reflections.Faced with the world-wide crisis of eco-system,we need to adopt an attitude of being contented with what we have gained materially,instead of fulfilling the meaning of life by continuing our lust for materials and properties.The key to a human nature coexisting harmoniously with the eco-system is to be satisfied materially and never content with the endeavors and creation in non-material values.