Research On The Morality Of Guilds In Song Dynasty

In Song Dynasty, economy, science, technology and city culture were highly developed in China. The change of land policy made the city's population increased sharply, and improved the development of the city commercial economy and the devision of commodity exchange. The development and prosperity of commercial economy ended the previous system of worshops and stores, cancelling the restrictions to the region and time with different worshops and stores scattered in the different parts of the region. At the same time, the increasing of government consumption and the establishment of assignment system stimulated and improved the prosperity of commerce and industr. The above mentioned factors brought so cruel competition that the businessmen of the same kind organized guild to protect their profits.On the other hand, people's thinking consciousness was also changing under influence of the social contradiction. There appeared"neo confucianism", which, denominated in confucianism, was blended with buddhist thoughts and taoist thoughts, and"theory of material gain", which held it important to meet people's material need and to strengthen the whole nation.Fierce commercial competition, heavy assignment, diverse thoughts and value orientation branded guild in Song Dynasty in its formatoin and development.The establishment of Song guild embraced strong patriarchal hierarchy. The proper formalities between the noble and the base,the comprehensiveness of its ritual law and the popularization of worship found the city people an only social organization. The development and prosperity of guild envolved great improvement for the country, and provided a hotbed for the birth of utilitarianism. The utilitarianism became the spokesman of the businessmen who considered interest as their central value orientation. People's moral life was influenced by the dispute of interest and righteousness between the school of confucianism and the school of utilitarianism. In the profit-oriented commercial activities, people combined interest with righteousness.The ethics value orientation of Song guild still inspires us in face of government management vacuum, corporate misproduct etc. in modern market economy, and provides us a reference for the healthy development of economy and the establishment of harmonious market economy.