薄身厚民,与民亲近——《晏子春秋》民本思想探析

Be Good to People and Bad to Self: An Analysis on People-first Thought in Yanzi’s Spring and Autumn Annals

“薄身厚民,与民亲近”是《晏子春秋》民本思想的总纲。《晏子春秋》认为,国君“以民为本”要做到“春省耕,补不足;秋省实,助不给”,“及时救灾,保障生活;轻徭薄赋,保证生产”,“宽狱省刑,安居乐业;扶老赈孤,延及骸骨”,“少动干戈,保民性命”。《晏子春秋》民本思想的提出除受先秦文化传承和时代背景的影响外,还有晏子因认识到人民群众在历史和现实中的巨大作用,从而产生的深深的忧患意识。《晏子春秋》民本思想的实施,在保证人们正常生产生活、休养生息的同时,也缓和了统治阶级与被统治阶级之间的矛盾,稳固了君主和贵族的政权,使得国家强盛、社稷安宁。当然,《晏子春秋》民本思想也具有不可避免的历史局限性。

“living a simple life and making the people wealthy, and getting close to them” was the general principle of people-first-thought thought in Yanzi's Spring and Autumn Annals and the book considered that monarch putting people first should “supplement the insufficiency in the spring according to the farming situation, while check the harvest in the autumn and help the poor”,“timely rescue and protect the life, while reduce the burden of taxation and cost, ensure the production”,“ease the criminal law and free the criminals, live and work in peace and contentment, while help the old and the orphan, as well as the death”,“start fewer wars, and save people's life”, etc. The people-first-thought, in addition to the influence of the pre-Qin culture and historical background, was mainly based on a clear understanding of the people's role in the history and reality, which produced a deep sense of anxiety. The people-first-thought in Yanzi's Spring and Autumn Annals not only ensured the normal production, living and rehabilitation of people, but also eased the contradiction between the rulers and the grass roots, stabilized the regime of monarch and nobles, making the country peace, powerful and prosperous. At the same time, it also inevitably has the historic limitations.