Excavating Traditional Chinese Economic Thought to Promote Paradigm Innovation in Economics
段博、程霖:挖掘中国传统经济思想 推动经济学范式创新
Adhering to the Second Integration [1]1 The Second Integration (第二个结合) refers to the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s fine traditional culture, as distinct from the First Integration of Marxism with China’s concrete realities. It was formally proposed by Xi Jinping in 2023. and striving to construct an autonomous knowledge system of economics with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese bearing has become an important mission for Chinese economists in the New Era. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “The Second Integration is another ideological emancipation, enabling us to fully utilize the precious resources of fine traditional Chinese culture in a broader cultural space, exploring theoretical and institutional innovations oriented toward the future.” Following this guidance, deeply excavating the treasure trove of traditional Chinese economic thought and drawing on its economic wisdom and dialectical logic will help form an analytical framework and research paradigm for economics that matches the development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and possesses Chinese subjectivity.
坚持“第二个结合”,努力建构具有中国特色、中国风格、中国气派的经济学自主知识体系,已成为新时代中国经济学人的重要使命。习近平总书记强调:“‘第二个结合’是又一次的思想解放,让我们能够在更广阔的文化空间中,充分运用中华优秀传统文化的宝贵资源,探索面向未来的理论和制度创新。”沿着这一指引,深入挖掘中国传统经济思想宝库,汲取其经济智慧和思辨逻辑,有助于形成一套与中国特色社会主义发展道路相匹配、具有中国主体性的经济学分析框架与研究范式。
Transcending the Capital-Centered Stance
超越以资本为中心的立场
Mainstream Western economics, centered on maximizing the rate of return on capital, aims to shape economics into a “natural science” through highly abstract and mathematical methods. In reality, it constructs a perfectly functioning utopia in a homogeneous space and serves as an apology for capitalist production and reproduction. On one hand, it conceals the law of surplus value in the production process, obscuring the reality that capitalists organize production to pursue surplus value; on the other hand, it regards the capitalist mode of production and economic system as eternal and perfect forms. It is undeniable that, under the guidance of capital-centered mainstream Western economic theory, Western countries have created a developed material civilization over several centuries. However, the excessive pursuit of capital profit inverts the subject-object relationship between people and capital, leading to modernization crises such as the unlimited expansion of capital, polarization between rich and poor, and the loss of humanistic spirit. In essential distinction, the fundamental stance of Chinese economics is people-centered, emphasizing that, on the basis of respecting the laws of capital, capital should be regulated and guided to play a positive role, achieving a harmonious unity of economic and social progress with the comprehensive development of the individual.
西方主流经济学以资本收益率最大化为核心,旨在通过高度抽象和数理化的方法,将经济学塑造为“自然科学”,实际是构建了一个均质空间中完美运行的乌托邦,并为资本主义生产和再生产作辩护。它一方面掩盖了生产过程中的剩余价值规律,遮蔽了资本家为追求剩余价值而组织生产的现实;另一方面将资本主义生产方式和经济制度视为永恒的完美形式。不可否认,在以资本为中心的西方主流经济学理论指导下,西方国家在数百年里创造了发达的物质文明,然而过度追求资本利润会颠倒人与资本的主客体关系,导致资本无限扩张、贫富两极分化、人文精神缺失等现代化危机。与之有本质区别的是,中国经济学的根本立场是以人民为中心,强调在尊重资本规律的基础上,规范和引导资本发挥积极作用,实现经济社会进步与人的全面发展的和谐统一。
People-centeredness is the fundamental stance of Chinese economics. In adhering to this fundamental Marxist stance, Chinese economics has drawn profound nourishment from traditional Chinese economic thought. First, traditional Chinese people-oriented thought regards the people as the foundation of the state, even considering them the decisive force in the rise and fall of the state. From the Book of Documents’ “The people are the foundation of the state; when the foundation is secure, the state is tranquil,” Mencius’ “The people are the most important; the state is next; the ruler is the least important,” Guanzi’s “The beginning of the hegemon’s rule lies in putting the people first,” to Zhu Xi’s “The state takes the people as its foundation; the altars of state are also established for the people,” all emphasize the fundamental role of the people in state governance. Second, traditional Chinese people-oriented thought stresses that rulers must respect, love, and care for the people; only by caring for the people and bestowing benefits upon them can the state achieve sustained prosperity. Laozi’s “Take the people’s heart as your own heart,” Xunzi’s “Nothing is better than leveling governance and loving the people,” and Emperor Taizong of Tang’s “The way of the ruler must first preserve the people” all hold that the design and implementation of state policies must revolve around the well-being of the people. Finally, traditional Chinese people-oriented thought emphasizes the importance of the people’s material interests and social security. The Book of Documents’ “Governance lies in nourishing the people,” Guanzi’s “One must first enrich the people,” and Confucius’ social ideals of “Great Harmony” and “Moderate Prosperity” present a blueprint for raising people’s living standards, strengthening basic safeguards, and pursuing common prosperity. Of course, traditional people-oriented thought has its historical limitations; its essence served monarchical rule, bore the imprint of class, and lacked a stable institutional guarantee. In drawing on it, its class attributes must be discarded, and it must be rooted in a sound legal system to better develop the economy and serve the people.
以人民为中心是中国经济学的根本立场,在坚持这一马克思主义根本立场的过程中,中国经济学从中国传统经济思想中汲取了深厚养分。首先,中国传统民本思想视民众为国家基石,甚至认为其是国家兴衰存亡的决定性力量。从《尚书》“民惟邦本,本固邦宁”、孟子“民为贵,社稷次之,君为轻”、《管子》“霸王之所始也,以人为本”到朱熹“国以民为本,社稷亦为民而立”,均强调在国家治理中应重视民众的基础性作用。其次,中国传统民本思想强调统治者需尊重、爱护、体恤百姓,唯有关爱民众、施惠于民,国家才能持续繁荣。老子“以百姓心为心”、荀子“莫若平政爱民”、唐太宗“为君之道,必须先存百姓”等,都认为国家政策的设计与执行须围绕民生福祉展开。最后,中国传统民本思想强调要重视民众的物质利益和社会保障。《尚书》“政在养民”、《管子》“必先富民”以及孔子“大同”“小康”的社会理想,提出了提升百姓生活水平、加强兜底式保障、追求共同富裕的美好蓝图。当然,传统民本思想有其历史局限性,其本质是为君主统治服务,带有阶级烙印,缺乏稳固的制度保障。在借鉴中,须剔除其阶级属性,并将其植根于健全的法治体系之上,才能更好地发展经济、为人民服务。
Breaking Through the “Economic Man” Assumption
突破“经济人”假设
The “economic man” assumption, as the “hard core” of the mainstream Western economic paradigm, abstracts away people’s natural attributes, retaining only economic motives, and applies the principle of individual interest maximization for rational self-interested activity. The “economic man” assumption simplifies socioeconomic issues, enabling economics to construct a logically rigorous analytical system using tools such as marginal analysis. However, this assumption neglects the influence of social attributes such as morality, emotion, and cultural psychology on economic decision-making and cannot accurately explain real-world economic behavior. Constructing the underlying logic of Chinese economics cannot simply copy the “economic man” assumption; it must break through it on the basis of identifying and absorbing its beneficial components.
“经济人”假设作为西方主流经济学范式的“硬核”,将人的自然属性抽离,只保留经济动机,采用个体利益最大化原则进行理性利己活动。“经济人”假设简化了社会经济问题,使得经济学能够运用边际分析等工具构建出逻辑严密的分析体系。但该假设忽视了人的道德、情感、文化心理等社会属性对经济决策的影响,不能准确解释真实世界的经济行为。构筑中国经济学的底层逻辑不能简单照搬“经济人”假设,应在甄别与吸收其有益成分的基础上加以突破。
The dialectical spirit inherent in traditional Chinese economic thought provides a source of ideas for breaking through the “economic man” assumption and shaping the underlying logic of Chinese economics. First, it emphasizes the dialectical unity of self-interest and altruism. Ideas such as “righteousness generates profit” and “see profit and think of righteousness” contain three layers of meaning: morality (altruism) and private interest (self-interest) complement each other; when the two conflict, social moral norms should be observed, placing morality in a priority order; altruism ultimately helps achieve self-interest. Second, it explores the dialectical unity of the material and the spiritual. Views such as “when granaries are full, the people know propriety and honor; when food and clothing are sufficient, the people know honor and disgrace” affirm the determining role of material practice on spiritual culture; at the same time, concepts such as “restrain oneself and restore the rites” and “do not violate the farming seasons; grain cannot be exhausted” also reflect the value guidance and normative function of spiritual culture on material practice. Third, it pursues the dialectical unity of instrumental rationality and value rationality. Ideas such as “righteousness and profit go hand in hand; kingly and hegemonic ways are used together” and “put righteousness before profit” advocate the interdependence of the two, with value rationality providing spiritual motivation and instrumental rationality providing practical support. At the same time, it should be noted that ideas and practices such as “preserve heavenly principle, extinguish human desire” reflect that overemphasizing value rationality can hinder socioeconomic development; while Shang Yang’s thoughts and practices on agriculture and warfare reflect that overemphasizing instrumental rationality can easily lead to moral problems.
中国传统经济思想中蕴含的辩证法精神,为突破“经济人”假设,塑造中国经济学的底层逻辑提供了思想来源。一是强调利己与利他的辩证统一。“义以生利”“见利思义”等思想包含三重意涵:道义(利他)与私利(利己)相辅相成;当两者冲突时,应遵守社会道德规范,将道义置于优先次序;利他最终有助于实现利己。二是探讨物质与精神的辩证统一。“仓廪实而知礼节,衣食足而知荣辱”等观点,肯定物质实践对精神文化的决定作用;同时,“克己复礼”“不违农时,谷不可胜食也”等理念,亦体现了精神文化对物质实践的价值引领和规范功能。三是追求工具理性与价值理性的辩证统一。“义利双行,王霸并用”“先义而后利”等思想,主张两者相互依存,价值理性提供精神动力,工具理性提供现实支撑。同时也应看到,“存天理,灭人欲”等思想及做法,折射出过度强调价值理性会阻碍社会经济发展;而商鞅农战等思想及其实践,则反映出过度凸显工具理性容易导致道德问题。
Reflecting on the Western Theory of Resource Allocation
反思西方的资源配置理论
Mainstream Western economics holds that a perfectly competitive market mechanism can achieve Pareto-optimal resource allocation and has always taken a negative or dismissive attitude toward government intervention in the market economy. For example, it believes that the “invisible hand” can automatically regulate the economy and that government intervention disrupts the market’s optimal allocation of resources; it holds that economic agents have rational expectations, and government macroeconomic regulation policies are often rendered ineffective because they are anticipated. Looking back at world economic history, although mainstream Western economics has provided important value in areas such as market mechanisms, price regulation, and property rights definition, its negative stance on the role of government has also led to major practical errors. In the process of paradigm innovation in Chinese economics, how to straighten out the relationship between government and the market is a core issue. It requires not only absorbing the beneficial components of mainstream Western economics but also achieving theoretical innovation through critical reflection.
西方主流经济学认为,完全竞争的市场机制能够实现帕累托最优的资源配置,对于政府介入市场经济始终持消极或否定态度。例如,认为“看不见的手”能够自动调节经济,政府干预会扰乱市场对资源的最优配置;认为经济主体具备理性预期,政府的宏观调控政策往往因被预期而无效。回顾世界经济史,西方主流经济学虽然在市场机制、价格调节、产权界定等方面提供了重要价值,但其对政府作用的消极立场也导致实践的重大失误。在中国经济学范式创新的过程中,如何理顺政府与市场的关系是核心内容,既需要吸收西方主流经济学中的有益成分,更需要在批判性反思中实现理论创新。
Traditional Chinese economic thought provides conceptual support for constructing a resource allocation theory with Chinese characteristics. First, traditional Chinese economic thought offers historical reference for exploring the relationship between government and the market. The Guanzi’s thought on “light and heavy” emphasizes the state’s active role, achieving a rich state and strong military through macroeconomic regulation, while also focusing on currency, commodities, and prices, reflecting attention to market mechanisms. Sima Qian’s concept of “the good ruler follows [the people’s nature]” affirms people’s self-interested behavior and advocates conforming to economic laws, while also advocating that the state crack down on “ill-gotten wealth” to remedy market failures. It can be seen that in traditional Chinese wisdom, government and the market are not in an oppositional relationship but are two means of resource allocation with different emphases that coordinate with each other. Second, traditional Chinese economic thought provides a cultural perspective for better understanding the functions of government. Ideas such as “managing the state to benefit the people” and “famine relief policies” demonstrate the government’s advantages in integrating resources, coordinating all parties, and concentrating efforts on major tasks. Ideas such as the “ever-normal granary” and “fair-price grain purchase” reflect the concept of the government directly participating in economic activities through fiscal and financial policies to ensure stable economic operation. Ideas such as “rectifying land boundaries” and “ward and market” reflect the government’s functions in property rights definition and market supervision. Third, traditional Chinese economic thought helps in deeply understanding market mechanisms. The Book of Changes’ record of “holding a market at midday” on the early form and function of markets, and the Song Dynasty’s “no land system established” giving rise to diverse private land rights transaction ideas, reflect the spontaneous formation of markets and their important role in resource allocation. Ancient China also advocated introducing market mechanisms into state governance to enhance efficiency. For example, the Ming Dynasty’s conversion of corvée and tribute into silver payments changed the system of delivering grain and performing labor service to paying silver instead of performing labor service, which not only reduced the burden on peasants but also promoted labor mobility and advanced commercial and urban development.
中国传统经济思想为构建中国特色的资源配置理论提供了理念支撑。其一,中国传统经济思想为探索政府与市场关系提供历史镜鉴。《管子》轻重思想强调国家积极有为,通过宏观调控实现富国强兵,同时也集中探讨了货币、商品、价格等内容,体现了对市场机制的重视。司马迁的“善者因之”等观念肯定民众的自利行为,倡导顺应经济规律,同时主张国家打击“奸富”来弥补市场失灵。可见,在中国的传统智慧中,政府与市场并非对立的关系,而是各有侧重、相互协调的两种资源配置手段。其二,中国传统经济思想为更好地认识政府的功能提供了文化视角。“经国济民”“荒政”等思想展现出政府具有整合资源、协调各方、集中力量办大事的优势。“常平仓”“平籴”等思想体现出政府通过财政、金融等政策直接参与经济活动,保障经济平稳运行的理念。“正经界”“坊市”等思想反映出政府在产权界定、市场监管等方面的职能。其三,中国传统经济思想有助于深刻理解市场机制。《易经》“日中为市”对市场的早期形态与功能的记载、宋代“田制不立”催生出多样的民间地权交易思想,反映了市场的自发形成及其在资源配置中的重要作用。中国古代也倡导在国家治理中引入市场机制以提升效率。如明代的赋役折银,将纳粮当差改为纳银不当差,既减轻了农民负担,也促进了劳动力流动,推动了商业与城市化的发展。
Sublating the Single Theory of Competition
扬弃单一的竞争理论
Western mainstream economics takes competition as its main thread, fully revealing the competitive nature of human economic behavior, but it pays insufficient attention to cooperation, believing that perfect competition can naturally guide economic agents to allocate resources efficiently, improve economic efficiency, and ultimately achieve a Pareto optimum for overall social welfare. However, real-world markets are affected by many factors such as information asymmetry, transaction costs, and monopolies; the ideal of perfect competition does not exist. One-sided emphasis on competition easily leads to negative phenomena such as rampant speculation, redundant construction, and involution within industries. As the “prisoner’s dilemma” theory in game theory reveals, if one pursues the maximization of individual interests with a competitive mindset, it may lead to the minimization of social interests. In view of this, to promote innovation in the Chinese economic paradigm, it is necessary to sublate the single theory of competition and achieve an organic integration of cooperation and competition.
西方主流经济学以竞争为主线,充分揭示了人类经济行为的竞争性,但对合作的关注不足,认为完全竞争能够自然地引导经济主体有效配置资源、提升经济效率,最终实现整体社会福利的帕累托最优。然而,真实世界的市场会受到信息不对称、交易成本、垄断等诸多因素影响,理想中的完全竞争并不存在。片面地强调竞争,容易引发投机盛行、重复建设、行业内卷等负面现象。正如博弈论中的“囚徒困境”理论所揭示的,倘若以竞争思维追求个人利益最大化,可能会导致社会利益最小化的结果。鉴于此,推动中国经济学范式创新,需要扬弃单一的竞争理论,实现合作与竞争的有机结合。
Traditional Chinese economic thought provides intellectual resources for clarifying the deep logic of cooperation and competition. First, it reveals the dialectical relationship between cooperation and competition. “Tea-horse mutual trade” [2]2 “Tea-horse mutual trade” (茶马互市) refers to a historical system of barter trade between Han Chinese and Tibetan or other ethnic groups, where tea was exchanged for horses, reflecting interregional cooperation. and “charity granaries” [3]3 “Charity granaries” (义仓) were public grain storage systems in imperial China, established to provide relief during famines, embodying communal cooperation for social welfare. embody the collaboration of social individuals for common goals, while “pursuing profit” and “contending for profit” reflect competition arising from resource scarcity. It can be seen that cooperation and competition are both basic forms of economic activity. Ancient Chinese thinkers perceived that cooperation and competition are not diametrically opposed but intermingle and promote each other. For example, Gu Yanwu’s statement “by demarcating fields and dividing land, unite the private interests of all under heaven to achieve the public good of all under heaven” [4]4 Gu Yanwu (1613–1682) was a Ming-Qing transition scholar who emphasized practical statecraft. The quoted phrase reflects his idea that properly regulated private interests can serve the public good. reveals that orderly competition under institutional constraints can promote broader division of labor and cooperation, ultimately enhancing social public interests. Second, it provides valuable wisdom for understanding the connotation of cooperation. Concepts such as “harmony in diversity” and “universal love” are rooted in profound cultural traditions and are embodied in various economic activities, offering enlightening value for forming a Chinese-characteristic concept of coordinated development. Ideas such as “harmony is most precious” and “coexisting in harmony with all nations” transcend the scope of interpersonal relations, embodying the wisdom of harmony that respects differences and pursues win-win cooperation. This helps to transcend the zero-sum game paradigm of thinking, greatly benefits the shaping of new-type international relations, and provides a useful reference for building a community with a shared future for mankind. Third, it helps to understand the connotation of competition. For example, “knowing struggle means preparing for defense; knowing seasonal use means understanding goods” indicates that we must face up to competition and struggle in the real world and make corresponding preparations in advance. Business management concepts such as “keeping pace with the times” and “the principle of accumulation” [5]5 “The principle of accumulation” (积著之理) is a concept from the *Shiji* (Records of the Grand Historian) attributed to the merchant Fan Li, advising on how to accumulate wealth by following market cycles. further embody competitive strategies that grasp opportunities and follow commercial laws.
中国传统经济思想为廓清合作与竞争的深层逻辑提供了思想资源。其一,揭示了合作与竞争的辩证关系。“茶马互市”“义仓”等体现的是社会个体为共同目标而进行的协作,“逐利”“争利”等反映了因资源稀缺引发的竞争。可见,合作与竞争都是经济活动的基本形式。中国古代思想家洞察到合作与竞争并非截然对立,而是相互交融、相互促进。如顾炎武所言“画井分田,合天下之私以成天下之公”,揭示出在制度约束下有序的竞争可以促进更广泛的分工合作,最终增进社会公共利益。其二,为理解合作的内涵提供了宝贵智慧。“和而不同”“兼爱”等理念植根于深厚的文化传统,并体现在各类经济活动中,对形成中国特色的协调发展理念具有启示价值。“和为贵”“协和万邦”等思想超越了人际关系范畴,蕴含着尊重差异、合作共赢的和合智慧,有助于跨越零和博弈思维范式,对塑造新型国际关系大有裨益,为构建人类命运共同体提供有益借鉴。其三,有助于理解竞争的内涵。比如,“知斗则修备,时用则知物”表明我们要正视现实世界的竞争和斗争,事先做好相应准备。“与时逐”“积著之理”等治生理念,更体现了把握时机、遵循商业规律的竞争策略。
Highlighting the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature
凸显人与自然的共生关系
In Western mainstream economics, the ecological and environmental problems faced by humanity are mainly attributed to negative externalities caused by market absence and unclear property rights, manifested as the “tragedy of the commons” resulting from the overconsumption of environmental public goods. It holds that as long as measures such as Pigouvian taxes and clarifying property rights are adopted to internalize externalities and make the relevant responsible parties bear the corresponding costs, the problem of environmental degradation can be solved. Although its theoretical logic and solutions have some reference value, commodifying environmental factors and simplifying ecological problems into issues of resource allocation efficiency cannot fundamentally resolve complex ecological dilemmas. In fact, under capital’s “principle of valorization” and “principle of utility,” there is an irreconcilable contradiction between the unlimited expansion of production and the finite resources of nature. To correctly handle ecological and environmental issues in the economic sphere, it is necessary to extract the essence from traditional Chinese thought and view the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature with a holistic mindset.
在西方主流经济学中,人类所面临的生态环境问题主要归咎于市场缺位和产权不清晰所造成的负外部性问题,表现为环境公共物品被过度消耗而形成的“公地悲剧”,认为只要采取庇古税、明晰产权等手段,将外部性问题内部化,使相关责任主体承担相应代价,便可解决环境恶化难题。尽管其理论逻辑和解决方案具有一定参考价值,但将环境要素商品化、将生态问题简化为资源配置效率问题,无法从根本上破解复杂的生态困境。实际上,在资本的“增殖原则”与“效用原则”下,生产的无限扩大与自然的有限资源之间存在不可调和的矛盾。在经济领域正确处理生态环境问题,需要从中国传统思想中萃取精华,以整体思维看待人与自然的共生关系。
Traditional Chinese thought is rich in ecological wisdom. First, it exhibits a holistic mode of thinking, viewing the relationship between humans and nature from a dialectical perspective. Concepts such as “unity of heaven and humanity” and “people are my brothers and all things are my companions” [6]6 “People are my brothers and all things are my companions” (民胞物与) is a phrase from the Song dynasty philosopher Zhang Zai’s *Western Inscription*, expressing a holistic, familial view of the cosmos. emphasize the unity of humans and nature, stressing that they are an interdependent, harmonious, and unified organic whole. Ideas such as “distinction between heaven and humanity” and “heaven and humanity alternately prevail” emphasize giving full play to human subjective initiative on the basis of respecting natural laws. Second, it emphasizes conforming to natural laws and constraining social behavior through institutional norms. “Tao follows nature” and “heaven’s course has constancy” reflect the ancients’ understanding of natural laws, advocating respect for and kindness toward nature. Ancient thinkers advocated achieving ecological sustainability through institutional arrangements. The *Guanzi* [7]7 The *Guanzi* is a foundational Chinese text from the Warring States period, attributed to the statesman Guan Zhong, covering political economy, law, and ecology. states, “Heaven’s wealth is produced; open and close it according to the seasons,” clearly proposing respect for the timing of the protection and exploitation of natural resources, and imposing heavy penalties on those who damage the ecology through decrees. Third, it advocates diligence and frugality, stimulating individual environmental awareness. Laozi proposed, “Contentment with contentment is always enough,” emphasizing that contentment brings happiness; Mozi advocated “eliminating useless expenditures,” believing that frugality is the way to achieve great benefit for all under heaven; Mencius emphasized, “The best way to nourish the mind is to have few desires,” advocating reducing excessive material demands by improving personal cultivation. These ideas, by shaping good personal character and cultivating a simple and moderate lifestyle, help to achieve harmony between humans and nature.
中国传统思想孕育着丰富的生态智慧。一是展现出整体思维方式,以辩证的视角看待人与自然的关系。“天人合一”“民胞物与”等观念强调了人和自然的统一性,强调两者是相互依存、和谐统一的有机整体。“天人之分”“天人交相胜”等思想,强调在尊重自然规律的基础上,充分发挥人的主观能动性。二是强调顺应自然规律,并通过制度规范约束社会行为。“道法自然”“天行有常”反映了古人对自然规律的认识,倡导尊重与善待自然。古代思想家们主张通过制度安排实现生态可持续发展。《管子》提出“天财之所出,以时禁发焉”,明确提出尊重自然资源的保护和开发时机,并通过法令对破坏生态者处以重罚。三是倡导勤俭节约,激发个人的环保意识。老子提出“知足之足,常足矣”,强调知足常乐;墨子主张“去无用之费”,认为节俭是实现天下大利之道;孟子则强调“养心莫善于寡欲”,主张通过提升个人修养来减少对物质的过度索取。这些思想通过塑造良好的个人品格,培养简约适度的生活理念,有助于实现人与自然的和谐。
(Authors: Duan Bo and Cheng Lin, respectively Assistant Researcher at the Institute of Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Dean of the Research Institute for the Development of Chinese Economic Thought, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics)
(作者:段博 程霖,分别系中国社会科学院经济研究所助理研究员、上海财经大学中国经济思想发展研究院院长)
Online Editor: Huihui
网络编辑:慧慧
Notes
- The Second Integration (第二个结合) refers to the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s fine traditional culture, as distinct from the First Integration of Marxism with China’s concrete realities. It was formally proposed by Xi Jinping in 2023. ↩
- “Tea-horse mutual trade” (茶马互市) refers to a historical system of barter trade between Han Chinese and Tibetan or other ethnic groups, where tea was exchanged for horses, reflecting interregional cooperation. ↩
- “Charity granaries” (义仓) were public grain storage systems in imperial China, established to provide relief during famines, embodying communal cooperation for social welfare. ↩
- Gu Yanwu (1613–1682) was a Ming-Qing transition scholar who emphasized practical statecraft. The quoted phrase reflects his idea that properly regulated private interests can serve the public good. ↩
- “The principle of accumulation” (积著之理) is a concept from the *Shiji* (Records of the Grand Historian) attributed to the merchant Fan Li, advising on how to accumulate wealth by following market cycles. ↩
- “People are my brothers and all things are my companions” (民胞物与) is a phrase from the Song dynasty philosopher Zhang Zai’s *Western Inscription*, expressing a holistic, familial view of the cosmos. ↩
- The *Guanzi* is a foundational Chinese text from the Warring States period, attributed to the statesman Guan Zhong, covering political economy, law, and ecology. ↩