归德孟尝:明清徽商“焚券弃债”的动机与启示

Attaching Benevolent Rule to Lord Mengchang:The Motivation and Enlightenment of Hui Merchants’Burning Bonds and Abandoning Debts in the Ming and Qing Dynasties

徽商“焚券弃债”行为在民间也称为“归德孟尝”,是明清徽商免除私人债务的一项义举。“焚券弃债”体现了徽商同类相感、互帮互助之谊,反映了徽商重信然诺的契约精神和以义为利的商业道德。作为一种深谋远虑的公关行为,有利于缓和社会矛盾,提高徽商社会形象,助推事业发展。徽商“焚券弃债”行为背后的思想对现代商业发展具有一定的借鉴意义。

The Huizhou merchants’behavior of burning bonds and abandoning debts is also known as“attaching benevolent rule to lord Mengchang”in the folk,which describes a righteous act by Huizhou merchants in the Ming and Qing dynasties to absolve people’s private debts.The act of burning bonds and abandoning debts reflects the empathy and mutual help among Huizhou merchants and reveals the contract spirit of Hui merchants and their business ethics of taking righteousness as benefits.As a far⁃sighted behavior of public relations,this act is conducive to ease social contradictions,improve the social image of Huizhou merchants and promote business development.The thought behind this act still has cer⁃tain reference significance to the development of modern commerce.