“体乾刚健”:二程政治思想的非常气质

Progressiveness Inspired by the Three-dynasty Ideal: A New Exploration into Cheng Brother's Political Thought

二程在北宋中期提出立志、责任、求贤的变法大纲,立志即透过促成君主决断,树立以天理观为实质的三代之道,为政治共同体奠定信念与规范的根基。其精义在于以社会秩序演进为最高权力运作的根本前提,重视经验传统积累意义上的礼则启示,警惕建构论心智的绝对权威逻辑。用三代之法提升祖宗之法,超越取法汉唐或宪章祖宗的常态格局,表彰高远进取的非常精神,此谓"体乾刚健"。经过天理观提升改进的公论、宰相、经筵,成为落实"责任""求贤"的重要规则与制度机制。南宋理学与事功学继承了天理观共识,在主体精神与客观宪制上分别推进和深化二程思想,为后世治道再开新局。

In the middle period of Northern Song, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi put forward the guideline for political reform. Aspiration was directed by their theory of ＂heavenly principle＂ （ ＂天理＂ ）, which was to set the ideal spiritual foundation for political community through the royal determination encouraged by the scholar-officials like Cheng brother. The political implication of ＂heavenly principle＂ lay in the overwhelmingly priority of social evolutionary order over state power, therefore it emphasized the importance of traditional customs, consensus and rules of propriety and warned against the power ignorant of the above norms. Cheng brother argued for the fundamental value of the three-dynasty constitution that was used to reform and promote the Han-Tang and Song constitutions. The intellectual- political mind was inspired and encouraged by progressive spirit from the three-dynasty ideal, Public consensus, premiership and classics educational lectures were the institutional guarantee. Cheng brother influenced profoundly the later neo-Confucian political thinking including Zhu Xi and the Eastcrn- Zhejiang School.