见利忘义

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: jiàn lì wàng yì
• English Translation: To forget honor at the sight of gain (selling out one's principles for profit)
• Idiom Composition: 「见」（To see, encounter, or perceive）＋「利」（Profit, material gain, or personal interest）＋「忘」（To forget, disregard, or cast aside）＋「义」（Righteousness, moral integrity, or loyalty）
• Meaning: To discard moral principles, loyalty, and righteousness the moment personal gain or profit presents itself. A strongly derogatory term used to condemn greed-driven betrayal.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「见利忘义」 contains the following nuances:

• Strongly Pejorative Connotation (贬义): This idiom goes beyond neutral profit-seeking; it carries severe moral condemnation against dishonorable, selfish, and traitorous actions.
• The Conflict Between 'Li' and 'Yi': It encapsulates the philosophical struggle between 利 (lì, selfish advantage) and 义 (yì, moral rectitude), rebuking the shallow mindset that puts the former ahead of the latter.
• Breach of Human Connections: Frequently describes the rupture of longstanding trust, such as selling out long-time mentors, friends, or business associates for money.

3. Usage

「见利忘义」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Condemning Character and Disloyalty: Used in both written and spoken Chinese to warn against or criticize untrustworthy individuals who betray bonds for petty gain.
  • Example:「那种见利忘义的小人，不值得你把他当朋友。」
    （That kind of petty individual who abandons integrity for personal gain does not deserve to be considered your friend.)
• Business Betrayal and Breach of Trust: Commonly applied to partners or collaborators who breach contracts or leak trade secrets when tempted by profit.
  • Example:「合伙人见利忘义，把核心技术悄悄卖给了竞争对手。」
    （The business partner, putting profit before loyalty, secretly sold the core technology to a competitor.)
• Criticism of Moral Decline in Society: Employed in editorial commentary to denounce rampant materialism and corporate social irresponsibility.
  • Example:「做企业要讲诚信，绝不能为了眼前的收益而做出见利忘义的事情。」
    （Running a business requires integrity; one must never sacrifice honor for short-term gain.)

Additional Examples:

1. 他在利益面前彻底暴露出见利忘义的本性。
   （Faced with material perks, he thoroughly exposed his true nature of forsaking principles for profit.）
2. 商场竞争再激烈，也不能采取见利忘义的恶性手段。
   （No matter how fierce market competition gets, one must never resort to malicious tactics that trample on integrity for gain.）
3. 见利忘义的人或许能得逞一时，但最终会被所有人孤立。
   （Those who cast aside honor for petty profit may succeed momentarily, but they will ultimately be alienated by everyone.）
4. 老一辈常教导我们，做人要重情重义，万不可见利忘义。
   （The older generation often taught us to cherish affection and loyalty, and never to sell out our values for material gain.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Origin: The phrase originates from the Book of Han (汉书), specifically in the biographies of Fan, Li, Teng, Guan, Fu, Jin, and Zhou. It records: 'He who sells out a friend is truly one who sees profit and forgets righteousness.' This directly criticized Li Ji (郦寄), who deceived his close friend Lu Lu (吕禄) into relinquishing military power during the Western Han dynasty, precipitating the slaughter of the Lu clan.
• The Doctrine of Righteousness vs. Profit (义利之辩): In traditional Confucian philosophy, distinguishing between 义 (yì, moral duty) and 利 (lì, selfish gain) was the primary benchmark of character. Confucius (孔子) famously remarked in the Analects (论语) that 'the noble person understands righteousness, while the small-minded understands only profit.' The virtue of 见利思义 (jiàn lì sī yì)—remembering justice upon seeing profit—stands as the exact virtuous counterpart to this negative idiom.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 唯利是图 (wéi lì shì tú): To pursue nothing but profit; driven solely by money.
  • 背信弃义 (bèi xìn qì yì): To break faith and abandon righteousness; treacherous betrayal.
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 见利思义 (jiàn lì sī yì): To think of righteousness whenever presented with the prospect of gain.
  • 舍生取义 (shě shēng qǔ yì): To lay down one's life to uphold moral righteousness.

6. Summary

见利忘义 (jiàn lì wàng yì) vividly characterizes the ignoble act of betraying principles, loyalty, or friends when seduced by immediate profit. Rooted in ancient moral philosophy regarding the eternal clash between 义 (yì, righteousness) and 利 (lì, personal gain), it remains a powerful derogatory expression across personal, social, and commercial relationships to condemn unethical opportunism.