Fear Not Scarcity, but Inequality

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不擔(dān)憂不富有而擔(dān)憂不均等。這是孔子（前551—前479）提出的治國理政思想?！肮选敝竿恋?、人口及財(cái)富少；“均”即公平、均衡，人人各得其分。依孔子的看法，社會資源的占有或財(cái)富的增長固然重要，但治國理政的基本目標(biāo)則首先應(yīng)該是公平合理地配置資源、分配社會財(cái)富，使國家、社會整體達(dá)于相對均衡的狀態(tài)。其現(xiàn)代意義在于提示公平正義的重要性——即便社會財(cái)富總量巨大，如果貧富過于懸殊，社會矛盾也會激化，甚至走向分崩離析。

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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：

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◎有國有家者，不患寡而患不均，不患貧而患不安。蓋均無貧，和無寡，安無傾。（《論語·季氏》）

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對于諸侯和卿大夫來說，不擔(dān)心土地和人口少而擔(dān)心財(cái)富不均等，不擔(dān)心財(cái)富貧乏而擔(dān)心社會不安定。因?yàn)樨?cái)富均等就不會感覺有貧窮，和睦相處就不覺得人口寡少，社會安定就不會發(fā)生傾覆。

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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)

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