“克己复礼”的千年聚讼与当代价值

Long-term Discussion on "Restrain Oneself and Restore Rites" and Its Modern Values

"克己复礼"是儒家伦理的核心命题之一。两千多年来,关于这一命题,可谓聚讼纷纭。从汉至清,争论的重点是"克己"的真义;从五四新文化运动至今,争论的核心是"复礼"的真义。本文认为,对孔子"克己复礼为仁"一语正确理解的关键是对"复礼"二字的阐释。"复"既有"恢复"、"返回"之意,也有"实践"、"履行"的内涵。周礼是融礼之内在精神——敬、诚、忠、信、义与礼之外在规范——礼节仪式为一体的"中华文化内核"。孔子是周礼之内在精神的捍卫者,反对那种丢弃了"礼"的精神而徒有形式的礼节仪式。孔子提倡"克己复礼"的目的是为了让人们通过自觉约束个人言行举止,回复周礼所倡导的礼之内在精神和道德情感,最终使人与人之间拥有理性的仁爱,使社会走向有序与和谐。通过与时俱进的发展,"克己复礼为仁"的思想仍能为中国的现代道德文化体系建设和人类全球伦理的建立提供有益借鉴。

＂Restrain Oneself and Restore Rites＂ is the core of Confucian theory.It has been discussed extensively for more than two thousand years.The discussion from Han Dynasty to Qing Dynasty centered on the right connotation of ＂Restrain Oneself＂;the one from the May 4th new cultural Movement to Nowadays did on the real intension of ＂Restore Rites＂.In this paper,it is regarded that the key of understanding correctly ＂Restrain Oneself and Restore Rites＂ is how to explain ＂Restore Rites＂.＂Restore＂ has not only the meaning of recovering and returning,but also the one of practice and fulfilling.The rites in Zhou Dynasty are the core of Chinese culture,which merge the spirits of rites,respect,honesty,faith,trust and justice,with the external norm of rites,etiquette and ceremony.Confucian is a defender of the internal spirit of the rites in Zhou Dynasty.He opposed ceremonies without the internal spirits of rites.The aim of Confucian ＂Restrain Oneself and Restore Rites＂ is to make people to recover the spirit and the moral of the rites in Zhou Dynasty by restraining themselves so that ones have kindheartedness with the perceptual and the society has the order and the harmony.The proposition that the aim of ＂Restrain Oneself and Restore Rites＂ is kindheartedness still suits China and the world nowadays.It will provide some valued references to the construction of Chinese intellectual civilization and the establishment of the Global Ethics.