马克思与孟子义利观的比较研究

A Comparative Study of Marx’s and Mencius’s Concepts of Righteousness and Profit

摘要: 孟子义利观与马克思义利观诞生在东西方不同的社会，本文以时代背景、核心内涵为切入点，系统梳理两种义利思想的理论内容。孟子义利观根植于春秋战国礼崩乐坏、社会变革的时代环境，在性善论基础上，肯定民众对物质利益的追求，通过仁政教化重建社会政治秩序，但本质上服务于封建阶级。马克思义利观产生背景是19世纪欧洲工业革命与资本主义的高速发展，他立足历史唯物主义针对资本主义经济矛盾与阶级对立的现实，揭示资本主义义利失衡的制度根源，确立了以集体主义为核心、立足社会实践的义利观。通过对比研究发现，两种思想均承认义利辩证关系、重视道德的社会能动作用，但在哲学根基、终极目标以及义利经济逻辑上存在差异，孟子以道德优先为核心，维护封建社会秩序。马克思坚持经济基础决定上层建筑，立足无产阶级立场，以实现人的解放与共产主义社会为终极目标，二者的对话能够实现传统伦理与马克思主义理论的互补融合。

Abstract: Mencius’s and Marx’s views on righteousness and benefit emerged in different social contexts of the East and West. This article systematically examines the theoretical content of these two conceptions by analyzing their historical backgrounds and core meanings. Mencius’s view on righteousness and benefit took root in the turbulent era of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, marked by the collapse of ritual and music and profound social transformation. Based on his theory of innate human goodness, he affirmed people’s pursuit of material benefits and sought to restore social and political order through benevolent governance and moral education, though ultimately serving the interests of the feudal class. In contrast, Marx’s perspective arose amid the 19th-century European Industrial Revolution and rapid capitalist development. Grounded in historical materialism, he analyzed the contradictions within capitalism and class antagonisms, exposing the institutional roots of imbalance between righteousness and benefit under capitalism, and established a conception centered on collectivism and grounded in social practice. Comparative analysis reveals that both thinkers recognize the dialectical relationship between righteousness and benefit and emphasize the active role of morality in society. However, they differ fundamentally in philosophical foundations, ultimate goals, and economic logic. Mencius prioritizes morality to uphold feudal social order, while Marx adheres to the principle that the economic base determines the superstructure, standing from the standpoint of the proletariat with the ultimate aim of human liberation and the establishment of a communist society. The dialogue between these two perspectives enables a complementary integration of traditional ethics and Marxist theory.