起源于互助互惠这一习俗的“礼”所蕴含的社会福利思想对后世影响深远。“礼”可以“养人之欲,给人之求”,还可以“别”人明“分”,它为人们的互相帮助提供了伦理规范性保障,规定了人们的生产、分配、交换、消费等行为,为人们的生存与发展提供了制度性保障,有效保证了弱势群体的基本生活,推动了社会救助特别是灾荒救济的实现,体现了慈善思想及医疗保健思想。鉴于此,我们要弘扬“礼”的社会福利思想,发掘和发扬“礼”当中带有普遍主义价值的福利观,就是要传承和借鉴“礼”的实践形式,重视家庭及家族在社会福利实践中的作用,坚持个人责任与群体责任的平衡,实现社会福利供给手段多样化,保障个体福利和社会福利的有机统一,不断增进中华民族的福祉。
The idea of "Li" originated in the mutual reciprocity customs, of which the social welfare idea has a far-reaching influence on later generations. It can "satisfy people's desires, meet people's needs, distinguish one from another"and "determine a person's status". Meanwhile, it provides the ethical guarantee for people to help each other and the regulations on people's behaviors in produc- tion, distribution, exchange and consumption. In addition, it also provides the institutional guarantee for the people's survival and development and protects the basic living conditions of the vulnerable groups. It promotes the implementation of social assistance, especially in famine relief. Besides, it embodies the thought of social assistance on social relief and health care for the common people. Thus, it is necessary to carry forward the social welfare idea of "Li" and to actively inherit and draw lessons from its practices. Moreover, it is also necessary to attach much importance to the role of the family and clan in social welfare practice. In addition, it is crucial to maintain the balance between in- dividual responsibility and community responsibility, and to realize the supply diversification of social welfare. Only in this way can we carry forward the welfare value of universalism of "Li" and ensure the unity of individual welfare and social welfare, which will continuously improve the well-being of the Chinese nation.