A Study On Confucian "Benevolence" And Chinese Business Ethics

The spring and autumn period, the Confucian benevolence is proposed by Confucius,and the "benevolence" as the core category of confucianism. Similarly, Chinese earlycommercial activities since its formation has deep roots and Confucianism, the Confucian"benevolence" as the core concept reflecting some moral principles has affinity with norms ofthe merchants, Confucian ethics, to a large extent directly into the main part of businessethics. In the Confucian "benevolence" as the fundamental basis of business ethics valuesystem, the "benevolence" mainly reflects for the "righteousness","wisdom","trustworthiness","courtesy" and "golden mean" principle of methodology. Specifically, the"benevolence" highlights by the modern commercial ethics and commercial specification.First of all, in the modern commercial ethics, specific performance of "benevolence" in:Chinese merchants adhere to the principle of honesty and trustworthiness, advocate morality,diligent and thrifty autonomy and devote to work in the commercial activities. Chinesemerchants with devotion to conduct business activities, however, business profit is not theirpursuit of the ultimate objective, more often just to complete their moral personality pursuitand the value of self realization by way of business activities. Chinese merchants bring thehonor to the family to realize their value through the success of business; in addition, Chinamerchants was deeply influenced by Confucian "rule the world" ideal of life, they strive toachieve the ultimate value through their own business success across the country, usuallymanifested as kindness or idustrial salvation. Secondly, Chinese merchants’ business ethicalspirit consciously practicing affected by the Confucian "benevolence" in commercialactivities, after years of accumulation, becomes businessmen established habits, or fixed in aspecific industry rule paradigm, thus Chinese merchants’ rational consciousness graduallybecomes to the commercial specification with external binding. In this commercialspecification, still with "benevolence" as the core basis, Chinese merchants always take"benevolence" as their highest behavior constraints,"benevolence" is mainly manifested asjustice and honesty and credibility in commercial specification. Chinese merchants insist to handle the relationship between the individual and society, individual mind and businessactivities and the natural environment by the principle of "golden mean", in order to promotebusiness ethics and market legal system interaction. This is not only to solve the conditions ofbusiness ethics anomie problems in socialist market economy to providing reference, andfurther promoting the healthy and orderly development of commercial activities.