论李颙的“悔过自新”说

On Li-You's theory of "repenting and making a fresh start"

李颙的"悔过自新"说是在明清易代的背景下对儒家"反省内求"功夫的一种新解释。它以性二重论为理论基础,赋予"过"以普遍和形上的内涵,通过"动念-转念"、"慎独"、"静坐"、"日用常行"等路径积极主动地"悔",达到回归至善人性的目标,开通了常人成圣成贤的简捷通道,从而将儒家"内圣"的功夫论提高到一个新的境界。

Li-You's theory of 'repenting and making a fresh start' was a new interpretation of Confucian theory of 'introspection and resorting to one's own' in the period of changing from Ming to Qing.Taking the 'double human natures' as its theoretical basis,this interpretation endows 'fault' with universal and metaphysical meaning.'Repentance' can be realized in an active way by means of 'the second thought after the first thought','being alert to any wrong ideas in solitude','sitting quietly and meditating','practicing in everyday life and every business',so as to achieve the goal of perfect human nature.It opens up a possible path for those ordinary people to become sages,thus upgrading the Confucian theory of 'perfect self-cultivation' to a new phase.