Wang Shiyi Li Concept "new Meaning" Its Contemporary Value

The controversy between righteousness and benefits is an important problem in the history of Chinese Ethics. In the debate on this issue of history, Wang Anshi inherits the spirit of "pay equal attention to righteousness and benefits" which belongs to the Mohism, and the thought of Li Gou that "natural to speak of righteousness and benefits". Then he makes new explanation to righteousness、benefit and the relation between them, which endows the theory of righteousness and benefits with "new meanings". It’s not only updates the "pay attention to righteousness e and ignore benefits" of Confucianism, but also repairs the action of Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty which separate righteousness and benefits. His theoretical insights serve as a link between past and future in the debate process of righteousness and benefits, which has far-reaching influence for Ye Shi、Chen Liang、Yan Yuan and Dai Zhen. Moreover, as a politician and reformer, Wang Anshi’s viewpoint on righteousness and benefits directly reflected in his strategy of governing the country and the political reform. It makes his viewpoint on righteousness and benefits with the distinctive feature of practice, which is different from the study theorist. It also reflects the "new meanings" of his theory of righteousness and benefits. This article is aimed at clarifying this "new meanings" and discussing the contemporary value of Wang Anshi’s theory of righteousness and benefits.This paper firstly discusses the basis of the human nature’s theory and the historical background for Wang Anshi’s theory of righteousness and benefits. Then focus on analyzing the "new meanings" of his theory of righteousness and benefits. Firstly, he transforms the traditional meaning of righteousness and benefits, he thinks there are three meanings for "righteousness":conduct financial transactions、make the county rich and strong、for the interests of the people. He also thinks that there two meanings for "benefits":public benefits and private benefits. Secondly, he makes new explanation to the relation of righteousness and benefits. He thinks righteousness and benefits are uniform, and he advocates financing by righteousness. Meanwhile, he takes his theory of righteousness and benefits to the practice for managing the government affairs. So his theory of righteousness and benefits has the practical feature for the "new meanings". Afterwards, this paper evaluates Wang Anshi’s theory of righteousness and benefits with the practical and theoretical point of view. On this basis, I think that Wang Anshi’s theory of righteousness and benefits is useful for the contemporary era. The thinking of "the unity of righteousness and benefits" is not only to bridge the "utility" and "moral justice" in moral understanding, but also to the benefit of improving and perfecting the socialist market economy. On the current reality, his thought of "financing by righteousness" is not only to the benefit of political reform, but also in favor of deepen reform and promote the building of a harmonious society.