晋商徽商衰落和浙商崛起的文化探因——兼对“韦伯问题”的回应

The Cultural Reasons for the Decline of Shanxi Merchants and Anhui Merchants and the Rise of Zhejiang Merchants——A Response to the “Weber Question”

晋商徽商衰落而浙商崛起,深层原因值得深思。按照韦伯的文化说,任何形态的经济发展必定内蕴着特定文化支撑力。“合理财富观”是理解资本主义精神的关键所在。晋商徽商宗奉儒学,儒学长期奉持义利对立,与资本主义精神扞格不入,导致晋商“合理”不正,徽商财富观不立。浙商崛起的深层文化动力是浙学,浙学传统中,滥觞自王充求实精神,事功主义为财富观正名,阳明心学对“合理”重树标准,浙东史学肯定工商皆本,就此而言,浙学与资本主义精神具有天生契合性。这就是晋商徽商衰落而浙商崛起的深层文化原因。韦伯认为儒学发展不出资本主义,但浙学内蕴资本主义精神,只是缺乏外部自由条件。当近代商品经济劲吹自由之风时,浙商就一跃而起。某种意义上说,浙学加自由,这是浙商崛起的根本原因。

Deep reason for decline of Shanxi merchants and Anhui merchants but rise of Zhejiang merchants is worth pondering.According to Weber’s cultural theory,culture is the deep power of economic development.The“reasonable view of wealth”is the key to understanding the spirit of capitalism.The decline of Shanxi merchants and Anhui merchants came from the Confucianism which emphasize on righteousness over profit,while the rise of Zhejiang merchants came from the reasonable wealth view of Zhejiangology which pay more attention to industry and commerce showing utilitarian characteristics.Weber believes that Confucianism could not give birth to capitalism,but the spirit of capitalism is inherent in Zhejiangology.Once the modern commodity economy is unrestrained,Zhejiang businessmen will spring up.In a sense,the reason for the rise of Zhejiang businessmen is Zhejiangology and freedom.