Fear Not Scarcity, but Inequality

不担忧不富有而担忧不均等。这是孔子（前551—前479）提出的治国理政思想。“寡”指土地、人口及财富少；“均”即公平、均衡，人人各得其分。依孔子的看法，社会资源的占有或财富的增长固然重要，但治国理政的基本目标则首先应该是公平合理地配置资源、分配社会财富，使国家、社会整体达于相对均衡的状态。其现代意义在于提示公平正义的重要性——即便社会财富总量巨大，如果贫富过于悬殊，社会矛盾也会激化，甚至走向分崩离析。

It is not scarcity that we should fear, but inequality. These words, an underpinning principle put forth by Confucius (551-479 BC), shed light on his philosophy of governance. In this paradigm, "scarcity" symbolizes the shortage of land, population, or wealth, while "equality" epitomizes fairness and balance — each person receiving their fair share. Confucius argued that the accumulation of societal resources and the growth of wealth, while significant, should not be a ruler's primary objective. Instead, the focus ought to be on the just and equitable distribution of resources and wealth. By doing so, rulers could maintain a balanced state for both society and nation. In the modern context, this wisdom serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of fairness and justice. Even in a society teeming with wealth, stark wealth disparity can inflame social conflict and, if left unchecked, precipitate societal fragmentation.

引例 Citation：

◎有国有家者，不患寡而患不均，不患贫而患不安。盖均无贫，和无寡，安无倾。（《论语·季氏》）

对于诸侯和卿大夫来说，不担心土地和人口少而担心财富不均等，不担心财富贫乏而担心社会不安定。因为财富均等就不会感觉有贫穷，和睦相处就不觉得人口寡少，社会安定就不会发生倾覆。

For princes, dukes, ministers, and senior officials, they should not worry that their land is too small, or their people are too few in number, but that wealth is inequitably distributed; they should not worry about the scarcity of wealth but the instability in the country. When wealth is fairly distributed, people will not feel poor; when people are harmonious, they won't feel few in number; when society is stable, those who govern will not be overthrown. (The Analects)