Is the pre-qin confucian concept of righteousness and profitability both righteousness and profitability

The pre-Qin Confucian concept of righteousness and profit is to emphasize both righteousness and profit.

Confucianism is one of the most influential schools of thought in ancient China, proposing many theories on human relationships, social morality and political ethics. Among them, Confucianism summarizes the relationship between righteousness and profit as "the unity of righteousness and profit," meaning that righteousness and profit should be equally important, and that without righteousness there can be no real profit.

First of all, the equal importance of righteousness and profit is reflected in Confucianism in its emphasis on the same values of human beings***. In the Confucian classics, "benevolence" is regarded as the highest human value, which is also called "great righteousness".

However, this moral value is not a fantasy divorced from reality, but is complementary to benevolence. According to Confucianism, it is only through practice that one can gain something, and it is also only by following the path of benevolence and virtue that one can realize long-term benefits. Therefore, righteousness and profit are interdependent and mutually conditional.

Secondly, Confucianism emphasizes the importance of both righteousness and profit in the moral cultivation of a "gentleman". Almost all Confucian classics emphasize the importance of benefits while elaborating on benevolence, righteousness and morality. Confucianism focuses on the combination of moral cultivation and survival skills, believing that a person who has a heart of benevolence and righteousness and can grasp the correct concept of interests can truly become a gentleman.

In addition, the Confucian conception of power also reflects the principle of giving equal weight to righteousness and interest. In Confucianism, political power is to a certain extent regarded as a means that may benefit the people, but the "welfare" here is different from the general sense of interest, which is based on the concept of morality and aims at serving the people and promoting social development.

Therefore, political power should not only pursue efficiency and maximize benefits, but should also find a balance, upholding morality and implementing justice while pursuing benefits.

In short, the pre-Qin Confucian concept of righteousness and profitability is the equal importance of righteousness and profitability, i.e., righteousness and profitability are interdependent, coordinated and inseparable. This concept embodies the very important concepts of human ethics and morality in Oriental culture, and also demonstrates the exploration of the progress and development of human society by scholars in the upper class of mainland China during the pre-Qin period.