“心即理”与“良心自由”之比较研究——兼论近代中西伦理体系中的核心思想

A Comparative Study of Mind Is Principle and Freedom of Conscience——On the Core Thought of Modern Chinese and Western Ethical System

中西方社会伦理文化在近代都发生了从传统到现代的转向,王阳明的心即理学说是对传统理学的突破,亚当斯的良心自由突破了传统基督教教义。两种伦理学的理论关键是二人对人性的看法,其一致之处在于人性本质是无善无恶的。在伦理实践中,面对个人自由与公共规范之间的张力,王阳明与亚当斯都坚持良知与良心具有先验性,而这种先验性的显现分别需要“致”的工夫和自制。此外,王阳明和亚当斯分别将“惟为圣贤方为第一”“虔诚和美德”奉为个人伦理事业的圭臬,原因在于两人虽然都突破了传统社会伦理的非理性意识,但又都将传统伦理思想追求的个人修身目标置于经验性的信仰地位,在这一点上,王阳明强调“意诚”,亚当斯强调“虔诚”。

Both Chinese and western social ethics and culture have changed from the traditional to the modern.WANG Yang-ming's theory of mind as principle is a breakthrough in traditional theory,and Adams's freedom of conscience breaks through the traditional Christian doctrine.The key point of the two ethnics is their views on human nature,and their consistency lies in the fact that the nature of human nature is neither good nor evil.In the ethical practice,facing the tension between individual freedom and public norms,WANG Yang-ming and Adams both insisted that conscience have transcendentality,and the manifestation of this transcendentality requires extension and self-control respectively.In addition,WANG Yang-ming and Adams respectively regard only for sages as the first and piety and virtue as the standards of personal ethics.The reason is that although both of them break through the irrational consciousness of traditional social ethics,they both place the personal self-cultivation goal pursued by traditional ethics in the empirical belief position.In this regard,WANG Yang-ming emphasizes sincerity,Adams emphasized piety.