重建“信德”:从“信”的观念史出发的考察

Reconstructing “Virtue of Honor”:An Examination of “Honor” in History of Idea

信德丧失是现代道德危机的重要表征,重建"信德"既有现实的迫切性又有实践和观念的复杂性。从传统文化开掘重建"信德"的基础,可以集中于儒家经典中"信"的观念史分析。古代儒家"信"的观念,包含了多向度的意蕴:"信"是一项重要的个人美德;作为个人美德,"信"主要体现为处理朋友一伦的品德,但因为必须服从"孝悌"的原则,所以在家族伦理中处于边缘的地位;"信"作为一项个人德性,既有存在论的意义,又有工具的意义——尤其在政治活动之中;在政治实践中,"信"具有"权"与"经"的两面性;孔子以后,由于"诚"或"诚信"概念的阐发,"信"观念之形而上学凸显为理论的重心。在实践哲学的视阈中,后儒对"信"的具体德目缺乏详明的讨论。因此,重建"信德"、对"信"的传统观念作创造性转化,需要综合处理好"信"之四项:主要通过稳定的法律制度与风俗内化结合的途径建立"信用";以广泛的"信用"为基础,提高市场经济条件下的社会"信任"度,使"信"从单纯的私德扩充为公德;面向"信任"可以挂搭的"信念"世界,有待于建设合理的价值体系,实现社会团结;正视信念的超越向度"信仰"对于道德建设的意义,同时也扩充论辩的合理性来解决不同信念或信仰之间的紧张。

The forfeiting of the virtue of honor is an important token of modern virtue crisis, and a reconstruction of ＂virtue of honor＂ is urgent in reality while complicated in both practice and concepts. Laying foundation on the traditional culture for reconstructing the virtue of honor, one may focus on an analysis by history of idea on ＂＇honor＂ in Confucian classics. In ancient Confucianism, ＂honor＂ includes a multiple intension, i.e., as an important personal virtue, a political practice, and a metaphysical theory of integrity after Confucius. In the vision of the philosophy of praxis, the later Confucian scholars have not discussed the content of virtue of honor in details. Therefore, it is necessary to solve four tasks in order to creatively transform the traditional idea of ＂honor＂. Firstly, it is to build credibility by combining stable legal system and social habit. Secondly, it is to promote social confidence in the environment of market economy on the basis of credibility, and make ＂honor＂ a public virtue. Thirdly, it is to build a reasonable value system which is related to faith for the social solidarity. Fourthly and lastly, it is to clarify the significance of faith to the construction of virtue, and dissolve a tension between faiths.