论孔子的服饰观及其社会教育意义

Confucius' Views on Dress and Personal Adornment and Their Social Educational Significance

孔子有一套严格细微的服饰形制规范。其基本准则是区分贵贱,尊卑有别;区分场合,朝野有别;区分吉凶,祭丧有别;宁俭毋奢,守礼变通。孔子讲服饰的重点是礼服,着眼在"君子"。这套以"礼仁合一"、"以衣守礼"为总体特征的服饰礼仪观,具有社会制度层面和思想文化层面的双重考量。在孔子看来,服饰不仅是一种制度规范,更是个体德性修为的外显,它具有陶冶性情,使人向"仁"的内在功能。唯有外在文饰与内在本质相匹配,才能成为"谦谦君子",因此,服饰是保障其核心价值追求的最佳器物。提倡这套礼仪形制规范是儒家以"复礼"、"正名"为目标,拯救"礼坏乐崩"、"因衣僭礼"的晚周社会,以实现礼乐治国理想的重要社会制度实践,于后世具有重要的社会教育意义。

Confucius decrees strict norms of dress and personal adornment the basic criterion of which is to distinguish be- tween the noble and the humble, between the rulers and the ruled, between good luck and ill luck and between sacrificial rites and funerals. He advocates austerity, condemns extravagance and calls for adherence to social etiquette while leaving room for variations. The focus of Confucius＇ strictures on dress and personal adornment is the ceremonial robes worn by ＂the true men＂ These views, characterized by ＂harmony between etiquette and benevolence＂ and ＂adherence to social etiquette through propriety in dress and personal adornment＂, take into consideration both the contemporary social institutions and the prevailing ideology. In the Confucian view, how to dress and adorn oneself is not only an institutional norm, but also an ex- teriorization of personal moral cultivation that is capable of molding a person＇s temperament and setting him off on the path to benevolence. Therefore only he whose outward adornment matches his inner virtues is truly a ＂courteous gentleman＂ and dress is the best safeguard of core social values. Advocating this set of social etiquette constitutes an important social institu- tional practice of the Confucians with a view to ＂restoring social etiquette＂, ＂rectifying names＂, saving the late Zhou dy- nasty in which ＂social etiquette was flouted and music became corrupt＂ and ＂violation of social etiquette was evidenced in the breach of dress norms＂ and eventually realizing the ideal of government through social etiquette and salutary music. This institutional practice is not without educational value for future generations.