相天:王夫之思想体系的终极关怀

Assisting Heaven:the Ultimate Concern of Wang Fuzhi's Philosophical System

在反清复明无望的情形下,王夫之转入了重建儒家文化,这就是他的"六经责我开生面"的抱负。其重建儒家文化的目的在于剔除儒家中佛教等其他学派的负面因素,提供一个帮助人们建立健康道德和宇宙和谐的新伦理体系。他以张载的"太和"为最高目标,以庄子的"相天"为其方法,展开对儒家经典的新诠释。他分别从"自然之天"和"仁心之天"的角度提出相天的必要和方法。前者在于利用人的智慧创造发明,补充天之不足;后者在于以礼义节制人的行为,扩充仁爱和和谐。他相信只要人们能够坚持履行儒家的礼义,气质可以改变,而神气可以得到保持。即使形体消散,自己对宇宙所贡献的那一团和气(神)仍然会造福后代。这样,才完成了人之所以为人的意义。

Wang Fuzhi resorted to the reconstruction of Confucianism in front of the ruthless fact that the Manchu consolidated their conquest of China and annihilated the last Ming prince.In an effort to do so,Wang Fuzhi tried to sift out Confucianism from the adulterated Buddhist elements,and provided later generation a healthy moral theory which would promote universal harmony.He took the construction of＂the Great Harmony/taihe＂as his objective,and＂assisting Heaven/xiangtian＂as his method,and started his new interpretation of Confucian classics.He proposed the necessity and methods of the assistance of Heaven from the perspective of both natural and humane dimensions.The former lies in using human intelligence and invention to supplement what Heaven cannot provide;the latter asks people to expand their humanity and love to promote universal harmony through abiding by Confucian principles.He believed,by complying Confucian principles,one can transform one＇s physical defects and bad habits,and consolidate one＇s spirit,i.e.,one＇s harmonious qi.As a result,one would leave a mass of harmonious qi to the universe and benefit the next generation even after one＇s body has decayed.In this way,one can be said to have fulfilled the meaning to be a human being.