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盐铁论 Discourses on Salt and Iron - No monopoly on lively debate
June 2, 2013, Sunday
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Print Edition
"YAN Tie Lun," or "Discourses on Salt and Iron," is a book describing an important economic policy gathering, the Salt-Iron Conference, held by Emperor Zhao of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) in the year 81 BC. One of the key items was to debate a proposal on abolishing the state monopoly on the salt and iron business.
Hailed by some scholars in later years as an "incredible book without parallel in history," "Yan Tie Lun" was compiled by Huan Kuan, a Confucian scholar who once served as the vice-governor of Lujiang in today's Anhui Province in east China. However, the dates of the author's birth and death are unknown today.
Divided into 60 chapters, the book is based on the minutes and some participants' accounts of the two days of heated debate between imperial court officials, led by the Lord Grand Secretary Sang Hongyang (152-80 BC), and a group of more than 60 elite literati summoned by the emperor from across the country.
Sang came from a merchant's family in central China. As a child, he was known for his exceptional ability in mental arithmetic, and began serving in the imperial court when only 13 years old. Later, he was appointed to many important central government offices, particularly those in charge of agriculture.
To finance his insatiable ambition for territorial expansion, Emperor Wu (156-87 BC) of the Western Han Dynasty had adopted the state monopoly policies proposed by Sang, who was then agricultural minister in the central government.
Under such policies, the central government had not only monopolized the business of salt and iron - two essential products in the country's economy and people's daily life - but also some other products, such as alcohol.
In addition, the imperial court had appointed full-time officials in charge of purchasing consumer goods and materials when prices were low and selling them when prices were rising. The resulting profits helped replenish the national treasury.
This system helped the government to control and alleviate the price fluctuation in the market and prevent speculation by merchants and traders.
At the Salt and Iron Conference, Sang and his colleagues, mostly capable and experienced central government officials, insisted on the implementation of the state monopoly policies, advocating state interference in the economy and markets.
Sang said that such policies could "benefit the state while bringing little harm to the people." He also pointed out that the state monopoly of key goods not only increased state revenue to finance campaigns fighting Hun invasions in northern border areas, but also boosted the country's agricultural production to improve farmers' livelihoods.
Also, Sang stressed that such policies could help crack down on rich and unscrupulous merchants and traders, curb their "plundering and exploitation."
However, the elite literati, comprised mostly of conservative Confucian scholars, sharply attacked Sang's policies for violating the moral principle of the Confucius and other sages. They claimed that the state economic policies ran contrary to the Confucian concept of "promoting people's virtues and shying away from material benefits."
Also, they pointed out that the state monopoly policies pitted the state against legitimate merchants and traders in unfair competitions in the market and often made the life harder for farmers and ordinary consumers.
Therefore, they called in unison for the immediate abolition of the state monopoly system.
During this unprecedented major state policy debate, the two sides also exchanged words on strategic issues such as politics, military, foreign affairs, culture and intellectuals.
Following the Salt-Iron Conference, the Confucian economic thinking advocated by the elite literati gradually became the dominant ideology in the Chinese economy for many centuries to come.
Hailed by some scholars in later years as an "incredible book without parallel in history," "Yan Tie Lun" was compiled by Huan Kuan, a Confucian scholar who once served as the vice-governor of Lujiang in today's Anhui Province in east China. However, the dates of the author's birth and death are unknown today.
Divided into 60 chapters, the book is based on the minutes and some participants' accounts of the two days of heated debate between imperial court officials, led by the Lord Grand Secretary Sang Hongyang (152-80 BC), and a group of more than 60 elite literati summoned by the emperor from across the country.
Sang came from a merchant's family in central China. As a child, he was known for his exceptional ability in mental arithmetic, and began serving in the imperial court when only 13 years old. Later, he was appointed to many important central government offices, particularly those in charge of agriculture.
To finance his insatiable ambition for territorial expansion, Emperor Wu (156-87 BC) of the Western Han Dynasty had adopted the state monopoly policies proposed by Sang, who was then agricultural minister in the central government.
Under such policies, the central government had not only monopolized the business of salt and iron - two essential products in the country's economy and people's daily life - but also some other products, such as alcohol.
In addition, the imperial court had appointed full-time officials in charge of purchasing consumer goods and materials when prices were low and selling them when prices were rising. The resulting profits helped replenish the national treasury.
This system helped the government to control and alleviate the price fluctuation in the market and prevent speculation by merchants and traders.
At the Salt and Iron Conference, Sang and his colleagues, mostly capable and experienced central government officials, insisted on the implementation of the state monopoly policies, advocating state interference in the economy and markets.
Sang said that such policies could "benefit the state while bringing little harm to the people." He also pointed out that the state monopoly of key goods not only increased state revenue to finance campaigns fighting Hun invasions in northern border areas, but also boosted the country's agricultural production to improve farmers' livelihoods.
Also, Sang stressed that such policies could help crack down on rich and unscrupulous merchants and traders, curb their "plundering and exploitation."
However, the elite literati, comprised mostly of conservative Confucian scholars, sharply attacked Sang's policies for violating the moral principle of the Confucius and other sages. They claimed that the state economic policies ran contrary to the Confucian concept of "promoting people's virtues and shying away from material benefits."
Also, they pointed out that the state monopoly policies pitted the state against legitimate merchants and traders in unfair competitions in the market and often made the life harder for farmers and ordinary consumers.
Therefore, they called in unison for the immediate abolition of the state monopoly system.
During this unprecedented major state policy debate, the two sides also exchanged words on strategic issues such as politics, military, foreign affairs, culture and intellectuals.
Following the Salt-Iron Conference, the Confucian economic thinking advocated by the elite literati gradually became the dominant ideology in the Chinese economy for many centuries to come.
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