司马迁经济思想四题

Four Questions about Sima Qian's Economic Thought:

《史记·货殖列传》不只是商人或工商业者传,而是经营农、牧、虞、工、商诸业生殖货利及相关的豪富人物传;笼统地谈司马迁“重商”或“农商并重”,有欠妥当。应该这样区分,就社会经济生活需求言,是农、虞、工、商并需论;就经济部门位次言,则是农、商主次论;说司马迁主张“自由放任主义”的经济政策,有点片面性,应当注意到他既强调“善因”,反对“与民争利”,又主张因势利导,并加以教诲管理,是主张既放开又管理的经济政策思想;对于司马迁经济思想的现实意义和历史意义,尤其是其倾向豪富的思想应基本肯定。

<Biographies of Extremely Wealthy Businessmen in Historical Records) are no biographies of merchants,industrialists and businessmen, but biographies of successful persons engaged in farming,animal husbandry, mining,industry, trade and other related millionaires.lt is inappropriate to speak generally of Sima Qian as a man who 'lays particular emphasis on commerce' or 'both agriculture and commerce' .It should be put that in view of needs of social economic life, he holds that farming, mining, industry and commerce are equally needed; in view of the order of importance as economic sectors, he holds that agriculture comes before commerce. It is also a little lopsided to say that Sima Qian advocates the 'free.non-interfered' economic policy It should be noted that he argues for 'good cause' against 'fighting with the people for interests on the hand,and claims adroitly guiding action according to circumstances in addition to education and control on the other. What he actually advocates is an economic policy both open and controlled. So, the historical and realistic significance of Sima Qian' s economic thought, especially his inclination toward the great rich.