孔子与“天人之辩”

Confucius and the Relationship between Heaven and Man

"天人之辩"是中国哲学的核心命题,开创于孔子和老子。在孔子,"天"、"人"关系可以表述为:其一,"天"赋予了人类生活世界的规律、原则和理想,是谓"天道",并且通过特选的"人"赋予其"德"以作为"道"之"文"而彰显"天道"的存在,并且要求这个特选的"人"作为"天道"的担当者在人间实现"天道",从而成为"天"、"人(类)"之中介和桥梁;其二,但是,"天"在何时、选择何人作为"道"之"文"而彰显"天道"的存在,以及这个作为"道"之"文"而彰显"天道"存在的"人"是否还同时具有"王"之位、从而在人间实现"天道",那属于"天"的意志而不可知,是谓"天命";其三,"道"之"在",非"自在",乃"自为"而"在",作为"天道"的担当者,无论是具有"王"之位可以在人间实现"天道"者,还是仅仅作为"道"之"文"而彰显"天道"之存在者,其担当"天道"的方式都是"为",行天道之"行"是"为",显天道之"显"也是"为",故曰"人能弘道,非道弘人"。

The relationship between heaven and man is the core proposition of Chinese philosophy,and Confucius and Lao Tzu were the first to elaborate the proposition.In Confucius＇s opinion,the relationship between heaven and man are threefold.First,the Dao of heaven is the rule,principle and ideal of the life-world,and human beings are the manifestations of Dao.Second,when and whom would heaven choose to be a ruler to exercise the Dao of heaven is unknown,and that is the mandate of heaven（tianming） which does not require that a legitimate ruler be of noble birth.Third,the being of Dao is not ＂thing-in-itself＂ but ＂thing-for-itself＂,and as the manifestations of Dao of heaven,either the king or the man of virtue exercises the Dao of heaven through action,thus ＂A man can enlarge his Way（Dao）,but there is no Way（Dao） that can enlarge a man.＂