告子的“生之谓性”及其意义

Gaozi's Viewpoint of "Man's Inherent Character as the Nature" and its Meaning

在中国哲学中,告子一直以"生之谓性"著称于世。这一观点,一方面依赖其逆向溯源的探索路径,另一方面则是主客对待的认知方式作用的结果。在这一基础上,"生之谓性"与"食色,性也"也就成为一种必然的结论。孟子则始终坚持超越的维度,并以主体体认的方式把握人性——此分歧、争论之所以形成。在中国人性论的发展史中,虽然历代儒家都以继承孔孟自居,实际却主要继承了告子的观点;而由"生之谓性"所表现的真、善两属以及其无善无恶而又可善可恶的人性发展观所蕴含的善之根源究竟何在的问题,就是告子"生之谓性"给我们所提出的最深刻也最有意义的哲学问题。

In Chinese philosophy, Gaozi was famous for his idea that man＇s inherent character is human nature. This idea has two bases： one is the approach of tracing back to the source; the other is the understanding and thinking mode of opposing the subject and object. Based on these, the viewpoint that man＇s inherent character is the nature and eating and sexin.g is human nature became an inevitable conclusion. On the contrary, Mencius insisted on the extramundane dimensionality, and grasped human nature by the mode of experiencing and realizing. So their standpoints diverged. In the development of theories about human nature, Confucians of different times posed as successors of Confucius and Mencius, but in fact they mostly succeeded to the view point of Gaozi in this respect; however, the two properties of reality and kindness represented by the viewpoint that man＇s inherent character is the nature, as well as Gaozi＇s viewpoint about the development of human nature that human nature can neither be good nor evil, and also can be both good or evil, contain one problem as where the root of goodness on earth is, and of course, this problem is just the most profound and significant question brought forward by the viewpoint of ＂man＇s inherent character as the nature＂ as presented by Gaozi.