知言与养气:孟子对仁义之道的新拓展

Analyzing Views and Cultivating Qi:On Mencius’Developing the Philosophy of Benevolence and Righteousness

孟子之前的儒者不善言辩,时人称孟子“好辩”,孟子则以“不得已”加以辩驳。孟子的理由是:基于历史依据、现实需要和儒家仁义学说。孟子的“好辩”是“知言”的表现,并以“诐、淫、邪、遁”之辞剖析各类邪说的危害。在此基础上,孟子阐明了“浩然之气”:“气”有义、道为基础;道是仁道,义是行仁之路;“养气”是行仁义之道的方式。基于仁义之正和气之浩然,孟子进一步阐发了集义与仁政学说。孟子的“知言”与“养气”源头在孔子那里,经过孟子的阐释,成为支撑孟子仁义之道思想的基础理论与主要概念。

Confucians before Mencius were not good at arguing,so Mencius was labelled as“being argumentative”.To argue against,Mencius defended his own practice with the claim of“having no other options”.The above reasoning is based on historic facts,practical needs and Confucian philosophy of benevolence and justice.Mencius’“being argumentative”is the expression of his“analyzing views”and his practice of wording the harm of such heresy as“biased,excessive,crooked and evasive”.On the basis of this,Mencius elucidates“noble spirit”:based on righteousness and Tao,with Tao being benevolence and righteousness being the practice of benevolence;“Cultivating Qi”is to practice benevolence and righteousness.Based on righteousness of benevolence and nobleness of Qi,Mencius further elucidated the theory of governing by integrating righteousness and benevolence.The philosophy of“analyzing views”and“cultivating Qi”can find its origin in Confucianism.After being developed by Mencius,it became the primary theory and main concept of Mencius’philosophy of benevolence and righteousness.