Ye Shi

Ye Shi (, 1150–1223), courtesy name Zhengze (正则), pseudonym Mr. Shuixin (水心先生), was a Chinese neo-Confucian of the Song dynasty.

A native of Wenzhou, Zhejiang, he was the most famous figure of the Yongjia School, a neo-Confucianism School composed mostly of philosophers from today Wenzhou Prefecture in Zhejiang province.

He also defended Wang Anshi's stance that the New Policies falls on "li cai" (the proper managing of government finances) even though he argued that the actual policies crossed the line into "yan li" (accumulating material gain).

Monetary theory During a time of opposition against the adoption of paper money, Ye introduced a view of money which emphasized its role as a medium of exchange created by merchants for trade. Ye argued that during the age of sage-kings, people were self-sufficient, producing all necessary goods. As societies became more complex, a division of labor emerged, leading to a need for exchange and the use of money as a measure of value. This transition allowed various commodities to be quantified: cloth in feet and inches, grain in pecks and bushels. The establishment of the Qin and Han empires significantly expanded trade, with coinage becoming the preferred medium of exchange due to its convenience. By the end of the Former Han dynasty, precious materials like jade and gold were primarily ornamental. Ye believed that a stable currency system was not realized until the Tang dynasty began minting the Kaiyuan coin in 621.

Works Some of his important surviving works of Ye Shi include: Collections Shuixin wenji (水心文集) Shuixin bieji (水心別集) Books Xuexi jiyan xumu (習學紀言序目)