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| Benevolence,Public Welfare and Commerce：Between Altruism and Self-interest |
| LI Shi |
| School of International Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872 |
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Abstract Benevolence is an altruistic act out of freedom. The moral and psychological basis of this behavior lies in “love” and “sympathy”. “Love” requires people to consider the interests of others as the purpose of their behavior, and “sympathy” makes people extend this altruistic behavior to strangers. Therefore, benevolence is possible, but benevolence is not necessary. Benevolence is neither a legal obligation nor a moral obligation and is not required by the system and public opinion. With the vigorous development of the market economy, benevolent activities have gradually transformed into public-spirited activities that can absorb more social resources. The purpose of public-spirited activities is to promote public welfare, which usually requires the participation of intermediary organizations. Public-spirited activities should also focus on efficiency and sustainability, but there is still a fundamental difference between public-spirited activities and commercial activities. The form of social enterprise, a transition organization between public welfare and business, should be strictly defined. Social enterprises can use commercial methods such as financing, loans, and marketing, but their ultimate goal is “public welfare” rather than “benefit themselves”. In terms of specific laws and regulations, there should be strict regulations on the relevant activities of social enterprises in terms of the distribution and use of funds and profits, otherwise, it will open the door for some organizations to “benefit themselves” in the name of “public welfare”.
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Received: 01 May 2023
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2023, Vol. 40 
