论古礼仪式本身作为先秦儒家道德的一种形态

Ancient Rites as A Modality of Pre-Qin Confucian Moral

传统的儒学研究认为先秦儒家为传统的礼仪形式注入了新的抽象伦理,"礼"的意义就在于其所依附的抽象德目。这种观点没有揭示先秦儒家道德结构的全部。实际上,儒家所坚持的三代古礼或周礼的固定内容在逻辑上并不能和儒家的抽象伦理或德目完全契合,这意味着儒家礼仪形式本身就具有某种独立的道德意义,因此可称为仪式道德。先秦儒家仪式道德的内容是恪守既定的古礼仪式,其依据是对固定的几位古圣王的崇拜,也正是这一点使得先秦儒家带有了某种"类宗教"的属性。最后,仪式性的道德与抽象的伦理或德目在先秦儒家的道德结构中是相互独立而并列的,又是相互绑定而融合的。

Traditional Confucian studies suppose that the Pre-Qin Confucians put a new abstract ethic into the traditional rites, and the significance of rites lies in these abstract moral norms. However, the fixed contents of the rites persisted by Con- fucians for three dynasties actually do not absolutely accord with the abstract moral norms of Confucianism, and this indicates that the Confucian rites themselves contain their independent moral significance, and this moral can be called ritual moral. The content of Pre-Qin ritual moral was to abide by the established ancient rites, which endowed the Pre-Qin Confucianism some quasi-religious quality. In addition, such ritual moral and abstract moral norms are in one sense independent and coordinate, but in the other mingled with each other.