感恩与怀念:唐君毅、牟宗三、徐复观和殷海光四先生对我的影响

In Memory of Four Masters with Deep Gratitude:A Story about How Tang Junyi,Mou Zongsan,Xu Fuguan and Yin Haiguang Mentored Me

唐君毅、牟宗三、徐复观,殷海光四位先生都是我的师友,他们在中国二十世纪的哲学史上都是有代表性的思想家:唐、牟、徐属于当代新儒家,殷属于当代自由主义。唐君毅先生贯通百家、东西比较,道德为本,以古为尚,体验与思辨并重;非常有教养,诲人不倦,心胸非常开阔,有很强烈的复兴中国文化的使命感,把做学问跟自己的生命成长联系在一起。牟宗三先生是西化的哲学家,是中国二十世纪哲学上成就最大的一个,也是原创力最丰富的一个。他第一个把中国传统的心性之学概念化、知识化、系统化,用西洋哲学的方式来表达;他思想中很大的重点,就在于他有一套中国的儒家模式,这就是"内圣"开出"新外王"。牟先生是一个有狂气的人,自恃非常高。他喜欢跟学生往来,爱护学生,超乎寻常;独来独往,生活非常单调;上课特别有条理,讲课讲得特别好,而且有热情。这就是他在哲学家之外,能带很多学生的契机。他的生活态度从容自在,是我一辈子都学不到的。我年轻时候的兴趣是搞中国文学,不喜欢搞哲学,完全是牟先生决定了我人生的道路,引导我走向学术思想道路。所谓感恩与怀念,最深的恩就在这儿。我一直以牟先生做模范来学习。徐复观先生一方面卫道,一方面又以自由主义论政,这是他思想的很重要的特征。他对中国文学和艺术的兴趣非常浓厚,这是其他哲学家比较少见的。徐复观先生具有勤奋自学的精神,充当知识分子的角色,担待时代的使命感。他没有教我怎么读书,有的就是一种身教。殷海光先生是台湾非常有代表性的一个自由主义者,是自由主义民主斗士的启蒙大师。他的自由主义不是研究自由主义,而是把自由主义宗教化,当宗教了,他整个生命都在里面。他的思想特征,就是西化。我一生的思想就是受这两个系统的影响,尤其是直接受他们四位先生的影响。韦政通能有今天,跟这四位先生的影响分不开;成就今天的韦政通,有四位先生的贡献在里面;愈到晚年我愈有深刻的体会。

Tang Junyi,Mou Zongsan,Xu Fuguan and Yin Haiguang were my masters,though they treated me more as a friend than as a pupil.They each represent an important aspect of the philosophical achievement in twentieth-century China.Tang,Mou and Xu belong to the Contemporary New Confucian School,while Yin is claimed by the liberalist camp.An encyclopedic thinker,Tang Junyi had a high respect for the ancients,yet his central concern was with morality.In order to resolve this problem he turned to both Eastern and Western intellectual traditions.He believed that for one to live a moral life his daily practice is as important as his contemplation.A great teacher with a gentle personality and a broad mind,Tang never felt tired of helping his students.Tang took it as his vocation to revive the traditional Chinese spirit and he set for the future generations a good example in nurturing his own life with spiritual resources.Mou Zongsan had received a complete training in Western philosophy.He is widely regarded as the most original Chinese philosopher with the highest achievement in the twentieth century.He was among the first who attempted to make Xinxingzhixue（Confucian moral psychology） accessible to the modern mind.To do this he developed a conceptual system compatible with Western ideas.Although informed by Western philosophy,Mou＇s thinking centers around the modernization of Confucian spirit,that is,how to develop from the ＂sageliness within＂ a ＂new kingliness without.＂ Mou was a proud person with high expectations of himself.Yet to his students,he was extremely caring and protective.Apart from the joy he took in being with his students,his life seemed solitary and monotonous.In the classroom Mou was the most passionate among the teachers.Systematic,methodical and highly instructive,his teaching proved most helpful for the young students.This is the reason why beside being a philosopher he had many disciples.His pace of living was graceful and gentle,which I can never imitate.I first took more interest in literature than in philosophy.It was Mou who set me on the right track.My deepest gratitude goes to my Master Mou Zongsan.I＇ve always looked at him as my role model.What is characteristic of Xu Fuguan＇s work is the combination of his apologetic writings for Chinese culture and his political writings from the anti-authoritarian stance.He took profound interests in Chinese literature and art,which is rare among philosophers.Basically a self-taught scholar,Xu was extremely diligent in reading and writing.With a strong sense of mission,Xu took the responsibility of a public intellectual.That Xu never taught me how to do academic work does not change the fact that I learned a great deal from him as an intellectual.Yin Haiguang was an important representative of the free thinkers in Taiwan.With his huge influence on the liberalist camp,Yin enlightened a large number of fighters for democracy.He did not take liberalism as a mere subject for academic research,rather he looked at it as something like religion,something,in order for it to bear fruit,one need to put into practice.His is a philosophy saturated with Western ideas.Over my entire career I have kept feeling the influence through the four above mentioned thinkers from these two traditions.I am deeply indebted to these four Masters of mine,for my intellectual life is thoroughly infused with their spirits.