In Confucianism, it was thought that profit pursuing would lead to desires that would ultimately cause a human being to deteriorate and that activities of involved in commerce and industry themselves would be contrary to what a human being should be; nevertheless, under the above-mentioned circumstances, merchants took the initiative in an economy based on the development of a monetary economy and industry.
こうした中、儒教では利益の追求は欲望を生み出して人間を堕落の方向に向かわせると考えられ、商工業に携わること自体が本来の人間があるべき姿に反する行為として否定的に捉えられていたが、実際には貨幣経済や産業の発達により商人が経済の主導権を握るようになった。