The most tangled and thorny problem in life is the choice between "righteousness" and "profit". When there is a conflict between righteousness and profit, it is really hesitant whether to listen to the moral call of the heart or calculate the pros and cons.
Fortunately, we have two great ancestors, Confucius and Xunzi, who gave us guidance thousands of years ago, but their opinions are also a little different.
These two ideological giants, who are revered as the "most holy teachers" by later generations, do not have an absolute unified standard answer to the problem of "righteousness and benefit" of the century, so let's take a look......
Confucius: See the meaning of the truth, and the righteousness is the supreme
"Righteousness" is an important moral category in Confucius's thought, and Confucius's "righteousness" refers to the fact that people's thoughts, words and deeds can conform to the moral principles recognized by the society, that is, whether their thoughts, words and deeds are appropriate and appropriate.
Confucius believed that "righteousness" is the principle of words and deeds, and the way to cultivate virtue. He once said: "Secluded in order to pursue one's will, and do righteousness to achieve one's way." ”
"Doing righteousness" refers to doing things that are in line with morality, the purpose of which is to achieve benevolence, and the purpose of seclusion is to preserve one's own aspirations, both of which are manifestations of one's own virtue.
Although Confucius said, "I have heard his words, but I have not seen them", it can also be seen that the importance of righteousness to the cultivation of virtue. While it is important that deeds are "righteous," so is that words are "righteous."
Confucius said, "Living in a group all day long, words are not righteous, and it is difficult to do small favors!" Zhu Xi explained that "if you can't say what is righteous, you will let go of evil and extravagance."
It can be seen that Confucius attached great importance to the norms of righteousness in words and deeds. As an ideal personality, a gentleman regards "righteousness" as a moral standard and a code of conduct.
For the things of the world, the gentleman does not stipulate what he must do or not to do, and the standard of his work is whether it is reasonable, that is, whether it is in line with "righteousness", so Confucius said that "the gentleman is in the world, there is no suitability, there is no Mo, and righteousness is compared."
"Profit" is a category opposite to "righteousness", which refers to material and economic interests. In the history of ancient ethical thought, profit is generally used in three senses: one is beneficial in general, the second is the benefit of others, and the third is the benefit of oneself.
Confucius seldom talked about "profit", and the "profit" that Confucius talked about in the Analects mostly refers to personal interests and self-interests. In the choice of righteousness and profit, Confucius emphasized righteousness over profit, and he advocated seeing profit and thinking about righteousness.
The gentleman values righteousness over profit, and the people come first
Doing everything according to personal interests will attract a lot of resentment. Zi Xia asked Confucius about politics after his father slaughtered, and Confucius said, "There is no desire for speed, and there is no small profit." If you want to hurry, you can't reach it, and if you see small profits, you can't do big things."
It is precisely because he saw the disadvantages of "advantages" that when Zilu asked Confucius why he became an adult, Confucius mentioned a very important point to "see the benefits and think about the righteousness".
In Confucius's view, an important criterion for distinguishing a gentleman from a villain is the choice between "righteousness" and "profit".
A gentleman can become a gentleman, and one of the indispensable factors is that a gentleman can do a good job of "righteousness", and the villain is called a villain because the villain will choose personal interests in the face of righteousness and profit.
Confucius's concept of righteousness and benefit can be summed up in the phrase "emphasizing righteousness over profit", but this does not mean that Confucius only attaches importance to righteousness and does not emphasize profit, but only that when there is a conflict between righteousness and profit, the choice of a gentleman is to "emphasize righteousness over profit".
Confucius also affirmed the acquisition of people's personal interests, which can be seen that in Confucius's view, the acquisition of personal interests has a prerequisite and must be in accordance with "righteousness".
A gentleman not only uses "righteousness" to restrain his words and deeds in order to cultivate virtue, but also takes it as an important principle of his governance.
A gentleman attaches importance to the interests of the people, and treats the people without forcing them to do something unwilling or inappropriate, which is also an important criterion for becoming a gentleman.
Xunzi: There are both righteousness and benefit, and righteousness is used to make profits
In Xunzi's view, there are many roles of "righteousness". First of all, "righteousness" is a norm that binds people, so the function of "righteousness" is to restrain people's behavior and restrain people from doing some evil and treacherous things.
"Righteousness" is the material that regulates people and all things, and the chapter "Strong Country" says: "Those who are righteous are those who are righteous in the inner part of people and those who are outside all things, and those who are at peace with the Lord and lower than the people." Those who are inside and outside the festival also have righteous feelings. ”
Xunzi believes that "righteousness" can regulate people internally, mediate everything externally, stabilize the monarch at the top, and regulate the people at the bottom, which is the existence that can regulate both inside and outside, which is the essence of "righteousness".
In addition, "righteousness" is the basis for the "sharing" to be done. In Xunzi's view, the difference between humans and beasts lies in whether there is "righteousness", cows, horses and other animals are stronger than humans in terms of function, but they can be used by people, and the reason lies in the social nature of people.
People can form social groups, and the formation of social groups is due to the existence of "points", that is, the differences in hierarchical names, and the reason why "points" can be practiced lies in "righteousness".
Regulate human nature
"Righteousness" is the basis for delineating hierarchical titles, and it is precisely because of "righteousness" that people can live in harmony, and then they can be united, powerful, overcome external things, and live in peace.
People are able to arrange the four seasons well, manage everything well, and make the world benefit from "sharing" and "righteousness". It is precisely because of the constraint and regulation of "righteousness" and its role in the order of difference that Xunzi attaches great importance to "righteousness".
Xunzi's understanding of "profit" is based on his understanding of human nature, Xunzi said: mortals have something together, hungry and hungry, cold and warm, labor and rest, good profit and evil, is born and has it.
It can be seen that in Xunzi's view, the pursuit of profit is human nature. People are born with the desire to pursue profits, but if they are not restrained and restrained, and obey the development of this desire, there will be competition and plunder, and there will be no prevarication and humility.
If everything is submissive to human nature and indulges human desires, there will be contention, and there will be "disorderly behavior", and then there will be riots.
It is in this sense that Xunzi said that "human nature is evil". Therefore, Xunzi will say, "Therefore, there will be the transformation of the teacher's law, the way of etiquette and righteousness, and then out of resignation, it will be in line with literature and science, and it will be governed."
It can be seen that out of the need for "governance", it is necessary to have "teacher teaching", "etiquette" and "righteousness" to restrain people. Xunzi talked about the rationality of the existence of "profit" from the perspective of human nature, and also talked about the necessity of "righteousness" from the perspective of social governance.
It can be said that Xunzi's concept of righteousness and benefit is, in a sense, a supplement and revision of the theory of sexual evil, and also a concession and compromise to the theory of sexual goodness.
There is good righteousness in our nature
Confucius believed that the subjects of "righteousness" and "profit" should be distinguished according to people, and the gentleman is "metaphorical for righteousness", while the villain is "metaphorical for profit".
Xunzi broke this view, he believed that whether it is a gentleman or a villain, there is a good side in his nature, and there is also a side of profit. He advocated that all people have both righteousness and benefit, and so are gentlemen and villains.
Xunzi believes that the bravery of scholars and gentlemen is reflected in the fact that where morality lies, they will not be inclined to power, will not take into account their own interests, even if the whole country is given to him, he will not change his opinion, although they value life, but they will still adhere to morality unyieldingly. Xunzi opposes the behavior of "valuing profit over righteousness", so he said that "Poly abandons righteousness and is called a thief".
He advocated that the gentleman should use righteousness to control profit, and although wise kings such as Yao and Shun could not remove the people's desire to pursue selfish interests, they could guide the people to use righteousness to control profits, so that the righteousness in their hearts was better than their own selfish interests.
Although tyrannical kings such as Ji and Su cannot remove the people's love for righteousness, they can lead the people to pursue profit more than they love morality.
Therefore, when the public's attention to righteousness exceeds the pursuit of profit, there will be governance, and when the public's pursuit of profit exceeds the respect for righteousness, the society will be chaotic.
Therefore, Xunzi admits the rationality of the people's pursuit of interests, and also affirms their love for "righteousness", but if the society is to be well governed, gentlemen like Yao and Shun are needed to guide people to use righteousness to make profits.
In Xunzi's eyes, as a gentleman at the "beginning of governance", it is even more important to achieve righteousness and profit. In other words, a gentleman can overcome righteousness over self-interest.
It can be seen that the gentleman's pursuit of material interests is not firm and persistent, but careless. their situation. Even if you are poor and embarrassed, you will have great ambitions, and even if you live a prosperous life, you will be respectful.
They are able to overcome their own desires with "righteousness" that is in the common good, not to indulge their own passions, to follow the path of the kings of their past, not to let personal disgust go, and to follow the path determined by the kings.
Xunzi often uses "etiquette" when talking about "righteousness", "etiquette" is the principle followed by a gentleman, and he can become a gentleman only by accumulating etiquette and righteousness.
Confucius preached righteousness more focused on inner moral constraints, while Xunzi's righteousness focused on the constraints of etiquette, if Confucius said that the gentleman is a benevolent and virtuous gentleman, Xunzi said that the gentleman is a polite and righteous gentleman.
epilogue
If Confucius's "righteousness" emphasizes more on the need to conform to moral principles in life and things, then the "righteousness" mentioned by Xunzi is not only limited to personal moral cultivation, but also focuses on how to implement justice in social governance.
In general, whether it is Confucius or Xunzi, they are very real to recognize that there is a side of human nature that pursues profits, which is an undeniable fact. However, in the event of a conflict between righteousness and profit, both masters advocated that a gentleman should insist on doing what is right.
Confucius taught that a gentleman should maintain a rational attitude towards interests and always think about whether it is justified, and Confucius and Mencius did not want people to abandon the pursuit of interests.
Rather, I hope that when we pursue interests, we can stick to the bottom line of ethics and set a correct course for ourselves. Instead of losing due integrity and bottom line for the sake of small profits for a while.
Resources:
Yang Bojun, Translation of the Analects, Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1958.
He Yan's Note, Xing Yushu, Zhu Hanmin's collation, Zhang Yizhi's review: Commentary on the Analects, Beijing: Peking University Press, 1999.
Jiao Guocheng, General Theory of Chinese Ethics, Taiyuan: Shanxi Education Press, 1997.
Wang Xianqian, Xunzi Collection Explanation, Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 2012.
"Xunzi Da Luo" contains: "Those who are righteous and profitable, people have both." Although Yao and Shun can't go to the people's desires...... However, it can make it more righteous than it wants. ”