为什么说“人性本善”——刘咸炘对传统性善论的现代总结

Why We Say Human Nature is Originally Good:Liu Xianxin's Elaboration on the Traditional Theory of the Original Goodness of Human Nature in Modern Terms

中国传统学术以重人道而重人性,并以性善论为主流思想。晚清以降,西学东渐,性善之论日趋式微。近儒刘咸炘通古今、贯中西,对传统性善论进行了深刻的总结与发挥。他把"生"确立为绝对价值和评判善恶的根本尺度,并继承了《易传》"天地之大德曰生""生生之谓易"的思想传统,认定大自然本善,故人与万物之性皆善;而人得天地理气之粹,故拥有天地间至贵至灵的至善之性。在方法论上,刘咸炘论性善还有一重大突破,就是提出了"自当一体"之论。此论有三个要点:其一,当然(善)本于自然,是对于自然的肯定与实现,不自然者必不当然;其二,不当然(恶)是对于自然的否定与背离,不当然者必非自然;其三,善(当然)与恶(不当然)并非并存之二物,而是一物之二态,即正常之态与负变之态。明乎此,乃能知恶是非自然的,因而也是反人性的。

Traditional Chinese philosophy emphasizes the way of being human, and thus pays attention to human nature and takes as its mainstream the Theory of Original Goodness of Human Nature. Since late Qing Dynasty, when western learning was introduced into China, the Theory had been paid less atten- tion. Liu Xianxin, a Confucian scholar in modern time who was not only well-versed in the learning of both ancient and modern times but also are erudite in western and Chinese cultures, summarized and elaborated profoundly of the Theory. He advocated sheng （literally means life and its unfolding and realization） as the absolute value and the ultimate measurement to distinguish between the good and the evil;meanwhile, he carried forward the traditional assumptions stated in the YiCommentaries The supreme virtue of heav- en and earth is the fulfilling of life, and sheng-sheng is called yi. He insisted that since nature itself is good, the nature of human and all other beings should be good as well. Moreover, among all other living things, human inherits the essence of li（principle） and qi（material force） from heaven and earth, thus possessing a supreme nature which is the most precious and ingenious. Furthermore, Liu Xianxin made a ma- jor breakthrough in the field of methodology by presenting the argument of zi-dang-yi-ti （unity of Is and Ought）. The argument comprises three assertions, firstly, Ought（goodness） derives from nature;ought is the affirmation, unfolding and fulfillment of nature; and what is against nature is certainly not good; secondly, evil is the denial and alienation of nature, and thus evil （Ought not） is not natural; thirdly, good（Ought） and evil （Ought not） are not two things that coexist but two forms of one thing, namely, its normality and aberrance. Knowing this, we would tell that evil is against nature, hence against human nature.