身份、道德与自由契约——儒家学说的制度性解读

Status,Morality,and Free Contract:An Institutional Interpretation of Confucianism

儒家学说通过一整套身份等级和道德话语的建构,有效地维护了传统中国社会的秩序。之前的很多研究都认为,基于身份等级和道德话语的秩序建构落后于基于自由、平等和权利话语的契约建构,历史是一种从"身份"到"契约"的运动。但是,纯粹的自由平等契约依赖于一个全能型的公共权力或一个信息完全的社会,这实际上不可能实现。同时,自由主义道德哲学和政治哲学宣称的平等缔结契约的机会与能力也并不成立。通过自然身份和道德话语的建构,儒家创造了一种有效的契约模式,最大限度地促进了传统中国社会中人们之间的合作。在现代社会中,身份并没有褪去,反而变得更为复杂。基于身份、道德和契约的考察,有助于思考儒家思想在现代的阐释可能和方向。

Confucianism maintained traditional social order by constructing a theory of status and morality.Many scholars nowadays think that order based on status and morality is inferior to that based on freedom,equality and rights theory.The history is thus considered a process that moved from 'status' to 'contract'.However,free and equal rights to contract depend on a society with an omnipotent public power and complete information,which is impossible in the practice.In the meantime,the opportunity and ability to contract in the real world is not equal when individuals are given the rights to contract.By constructing of status and moral theory,Confucianism creates an effective contract model that greatly enhanced the cooperation between people in the traditional society.In modern society,status hardly disappears;rather,it becomes more complicated.Based on a reflection of status,morality,and contract,this paper discusses the desirable interpretation of modern Confucianism.