优良品格的形成及德育镜鉴——《尼各马可伦理学》的视角

Character Formation: From the Perspective of Nicomachean Ethics

亚里斯多德认为,优良品格的形成是个体与父母、社会及环境互动与强化进而形成习惯的过程。在习惯习得之初,尚需外在奖惩手段的辅佐;随着练习的不断强化,正向的习惯逐渐成为自然,最终成为人类浑然不觉的第二天性。品格习得的过程,不仅关乎"你做什么",而且还关乎"你喜欢做什么"。品格的习得与完善,既需要实践智慧的不断试误与验证,又需要理性反思的持续萃取与升华。抑或说,需以"中庸"为尺度,合理地衡量人类天性中的欲望、欲求和激情,使之与"何为美德"的理性反思及判断达到均衡一致,最终获致理性与欲望及情感的和谐统一。

Aristotle claims that character develops over time as one acquires habits from parents and circumstance, first through reward and punishment. At the very beginning, one acquires a good eharaeter just as one may learn to play a musical instrument： initially, one may practice under some pressure, but eventually, enjoys playing with skill and understanding. The same is true of the formation of the virtuous character, which is not just concerned with what you do, but with what you enjoy doing. A full development of character requires rational reflection and phronesis, in which the proper arrangement of human desire, appetites and passion is in line with reason by the ＂golden rule of the mean＂.