由“天”之意涵论儒家思想的宗教性

The Religious Character of Confucianism Meanings of Tian

在先民的思想世界中,"天"兼具自然性与宗教性,但是在周以后,随着人文精神的觉醒,"天"的这两种性质逐渐分离开来,一方面是其自然性凸现出来而与人相分离;但更重要的是"天"的宗教性的意涵转化成为人的道德的根源,因而具有了本体论的意味,但它与人的终极关怀和功夫修养仍然紧密联系。因此,通过与西方理性主义思想传统的比较,我们可以发现儒学同时具有宗教性与哲学性的特质。

In the thoughts of our ancestors, Tian had both of the natural and religious meanings. Howevr,after the Chou Dynasty, with the awakening of humanistic spirit, the two meanings of Tian increasingly separated. On the one hand , the natural meaning emerged obviously and separated fren huaman beings ; but more importantly, the religious meaning of Tian switched to the root of morality and therefore had the ontological meaning, but it still the ultimate linked with the the ultimate care for human beings and moral cultivation closely. Therefore, in comparison with the tradition of Western rationalism, we may discover that has both the religious and philosophical character.