明代中叶以后,随着商品经济的发展,人们有关商业与商人的观念发生了转变,以商业为“本业”是其代表。事实上,明代的“本业”观涉及百姓、国家与士大夫等多个层次。从百姓的立场出发,“本业”首先代表了生计,不必与“业”严加区分;在国家的立场上,“本业”主要指农业,或者与“游手”针锋相对;士大夫则将“本业”视为求道的手段。其中,前两者较多地沿袭了传统观念,后者则在明中后期发生明显转变,读书与求道不再是完全对应的关系。 Since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, with the development of the commodity economy, people have changed their conceptions about business and merchants, and their business is their “business”. In fact, the concept of “industry ” in the Ming Dynasty involved multiple levels of people, countries and scholars. From the standpoint of the people, “” “industry” first represents livelihood and does not have to be strictly distinguished from “industry.” From the standpoint of the state, “industry” mainly refers to agriculture or “ ”Tit for tat; scholar doctor will “ this industry ”as a means of seeking truth. Among them, the former two followed the traditional concepts more, while the latter took a significant change in the middle and late Ming Dynasty. The relationship between reading and seeking is no longer completely corresponding.