“좋은 상인이 어찌 巨儒를 저버리겠는가?”―상업에 종사하면서도 유학을 애호한 明淸時期 徽商의 紳士的 風格―

Abstract

After 16th century in China, the businessmen from the Huizhou (Hui-shang) not only simply imitate the manners of scholars, but they also merge the idea of businessmen for successes into the value of scholars for “Gong-ming(social status and honor).” They realize “it is same duties both for scholars and businessmen to encourage and maintain the economic boom.” They integrate the role of businessmen into the scholars and gentries. Therefore, the businessmen from the Huizhou have the mission senses, the moral pursuits, and the elegant manners similar to the scholars and gentries. They have the spirit of compete, suffering, and determinations in business as the scholars prepare with the exams for “social status and honor.” It has strengthened the self-confident of the businessmen and certainly impacted the 4 grades of classification in the traditional China society. However, it has basically eliminated the independence of businessmen from social status the businessmen with the gentleman manners. Everywhere with the elegant manners as the scholars and gentries and more closely adhesion with traditional political force, it is not impossible for the businessmen both to grow up as the 3rd grade group in the European history and to become the gravediggers of feudal system.