Abstract
Confucius’ ideas on economics are few, but through his ethics one may attain an idea of what kind of economics he would have found acceptable. Confucius’ ethics are based upon the natural goodness of human nature. In his mind, human beings are naturally kind to one another. One does not really need the Christian concept of benevolence for Confucius, because benevolence implies that one is going a step beyond what one would ordinarily do. The meaning of benevolence is to be greater than oneself, greater than the normal. For Confucius, kindness is intrinsic to human nature. His is the idea of natural kindness.
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Literature
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© 2011 Robert Allinson
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Allinson, R. (2011). Confucianism and Taoism. In: Bouckaert, L., Zsolnai, L. (eds) Handbook of Spirituality and Business. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230321458_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230321458_12
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