Theories of Reason in China and the West: From the Point of View of the Enlightenment

启蒙视阈下中西“理性”观之考察(英文)

A conception of enlightenment that is new in both origin and prototype yet rooted in Chinese tradition can be found in the works of Liang Shuming and Zhu Qianzhi, his follower in the historical field. Kant maintained that enlightenment implied that the power of reason would give man the courage to use his mind. Similarly, Zhu Qianzhi used enlightenment to define reason, putting the focus of enlightenment on religion. In doing so, on the one hand, he neglected the richness, complexity and inner evolution of the Western concept of reason; on the other hand, like Hegel, he dismissed the subtle but significant differences between Chinese and Western concepts of reason. In terms of thought, intuition, emotion, desire, practice, skill and the movements of nature, reason in the Western tradition inevitably tends toward the good. The word later used to translate ＂reason＂ into Chinese had already appeared in Confucian and Buddhist classics. Reason in Song and Ming Confucianism is an all- embracing absolute; its function involves intuition, thought and emotion, all directed toward the good. Liang Shuming accepted the differentiation between reason and understanding of Western philosophy, but proposed that understanding was the function and reason the essence of the heart-mind. Overall, this represents only the heart-mind approach. The non- religious character, didactic tendency and emphasis on intuition in the Confucian view of reason can all be found in the Confucian theory of emotion. Being essentially a response to good and evil, emotion may share some common ground with classical Western philosophy.

在梁漱溟及其史学领域的追随者朱谦之身上,可以发现一个在起源和原型上均崭新的、扎根于中国传统的启蒙观念。康德主张启蒙意味着人类应通过理性的力量唤起运用理智的勇气。朱谦之同样既用理性去界定启蒙,也将启蒙重点放在宗教方面。这一方面牺牲了西方理性概念的丰富、复杂与内在变化,另一方面和黑格尔一样,消除了中西理性概念之间的微妙而重大的差别。西方传统中的理性在思维、直觉、情感、欲望、实践、技艺、自然运动之中全都必定指向善。对译西方"理性"概念的中文字眼,早就在儒家与佛家典籍中出现了。宋明儒学的理性观是至大无外之绝对,其用兼具直觉、思虑和情感,且均指向善。梁漱溟吸取了西方哲学中理性与理智差别的思想,但将理智断定为人心之用,将理性断定为人心之体,大体只能代表心学道路。儒家理性观的非宗教品格、道德化倾向和直觉化倾向,都可以在儒家的情感学说中找到根基。而情感的实质在于对善恶的指向与西方古代哲学或有相通之处。