从忠谏之臣到财富之神--比干财神形象的生成与中国传统商业伦理

From a Loyal Minister to the God of Wealth--How Bi Gan Came to Symbolize Wealth and the Traditional Business Ethics of China

比干以死谏君,成为一代忠臣、谏臣;在民间,百姓认为他"无心",办事公正无私不偏不倚,因而又被供奉为财神。比干从忠臣谏臣转变为财神,与民众口碑传说中其公正无私的形象以及古代商业的发展、商人地位的转变不无关系。文财神比干身上体现了公平公正的传统商业伦理,呈现了民众对商人道德理想和道义担当的信仰诉求。这一伦理原则是对盲目拜金不择手段谋求钱财的遏制,是传统中国"以义制利、义中取利"商业伦理和财富观的体现,在当代经济生活中仍具有特别的意义和价值。

Bi Gan was a famous loyal minister in Chinese history. He was worshipped as the god of wealth because of his fairness and justice. How Bi Gan became the god of wealth has something to do with his image of impartiality in folk tales,the development of ancient commerce,and the change of the status of merchants. The god of wealth( Bi Gan) embodies the traditional business ethics of fairness and justice and represents people’s belief in and demand for moral ideal and responsibility of businessmen. This ethical principle restrains money worship,embodies business ethics and advocates the traditional Chinese view of wealth that "justice restrains profit and justice makes profit". Therefore,it still has special significance and value in our contemporary economic life.