败坏本性是恶的本性吗?——奥古斯丁的人的本性思想探析

Corrupting Nature:Evil or Not?——An Analysis of Augustine’s Thought on Human Nature

奥古斯丁的人性论是其原罪论、恩典论、自由观等核心理论的重要联结点,包纳了本性的善恶对立与原罪遗传说等重要思想,但奥古斯丁关于本性的善与恶的概念以及败坏本性的遗传的论述存在内在的矛盾。本文从奥古斯丁人的本性思想的理论渊源出发,重点梳理了奥古斯丁在《论自由意志》《忏悔录》《论原罪与恩典》等重要著作中对相关问题的讨论。并指出,奥古斯丁确是从创造论与原罪观出发,表明了人的本性在本质上善的属性以及在生存意义上的败坏处境,但人的本性作为一种中性力量即中等之善的自由意志,其本质属性是善的。败坏本性源自意志的软弱,是人在生存中的现实状态而不是恶的本性,由意志软弱导致的恶实际上无法毁坏善的本性。

Augustine’s theory of human nature is an important connecting point of his core theories such as Original Sin Theory,Grace Theory,and the View of Freedom,which includes such important ideas as the opposition between good and evil in nature and the genetic theory of original sin.But there is an inherent contradiction in Augustine’s argument on the concepts of good and evil in nature and the inheritance of corrupting nature.This article starts from the theoretical origins of Augustine’s human natural thoughts,and focuses on the discussion of relevant issues in Augustine’s important works such as On the Free Choice of the Will,Confession,and On Original Sin and Grace.Proceeding from the theory of creation and the original sin,it shows that the human nature is essentially good and is corrupted in the sense of existence.But human nature,as a neutral force,the free will of intermediate good,is essentially good.Corrupting nature comes from the weakness of the will,and it is the actual state of human beings in existence rather than the nature of evil.The evil caused by the weakness of the will cannot actually destroy the nature of good.