慈悲为怀:没有宽恕就没有未来——中西文化传统中的“宽恕”

Being Merciful: No Forgiveness, No Future——"Forgiveness" in the cultural tradition of both China and the West

中西文化传统中的“宽恕”是大不一样的。西方的“宽恕”是“为爱而爱”的终极关怀,体现了其“原罪”的价值维度。“原罪”说使“罪”被绝对化、先天化,人的尊严、权利、责任被绝对化、先天化了,并由此造成了信仰维度的存在。这是对人的局限性的自知。中国的“宽恕”是纲常伦理的处理原则,体现了其“原善”的价值维度。“原善”说使属性、本性被绝对化、先天化,人是自己的救主,人性高于神性,罪恶只是外来的污染,因而不存在共同责任,只存在道德责任。它“宽恕”的是可以“宽恕”的,并非不可“宽恕”者。这是对人的局限性的无知。但是,只有“宽恕”不可“宽恕”者,宽恕才存在。所以中国文化传统中的“宽恕”不是“宽恕”,“慈悲”不是“慈悲”。

The 'forgiveness' in China and the West is totally different. Western 'forgiveness' is the ultimate comfort of 'loving for love', which shows its value of 'original sin'. Theory of 'original sin' makes the 'sin' absolute and congenital and so are human dignity, rights and duties and hence creates the dimension of belief. This is due to the awareness of human limitations. As the principle of virtues and ethics, Chinese 'forgiveness' shows its value of 'original virtue'. Theory of 'original virtue' makes human nature absolute and congenital and man is his own savior, humanity overwhelms divinity and evils are the external pollution so only moral duties do exist instead of common duties. It forgives the forgivable instead of the unforgivable, which shows the ignorance of human limitations. However, only by forgiving the unforgivable, can forgiveness exist so 'forgiveness' in Chinese culture is not the real 'forgiveness' and nor the 'mercy' is the real 'mercy'.