宋代“义利”争辩述论

The Controversy over "Obligation and Benefit" in the Song Dynasty

义利之说被视为"儒家第一义",在中国古代经济思想中占有重要的地位,在义利的二厢关系上,从古到今一直存在争议。宋代在此问题上,曾展开过激烈的争论。一方面是以理学为代表的一派,主张重义轻利,并将这一传统的观点进一步发展为完全不要利而只讲义的惟义主义;另一方面,与之相对的功利学派则主张义利并行,不仅要讲利,而且倡导利。

The idea of obligation and benefit, allegedly 'the utmost issue of the Confucianism', played an important part in the ancient Chinese economic history. However, the relationship between obligation and benefit has remained controversial. In the Song Dynasty, the conflicts were sharp. The Confucian idealists advocated obligation over benefit. They stuck to obligation to such an extent that they finally became the pure idealists emphasizing only obligation but denying completely benefit. On the contrary, the Utilitarians, though advocating both benefit and obligation, were actually in favor of benefit.