古老的教化命题:《论语》中的君子、小人之辨

The Distinction between “Junzi” and “Xiaoren” in the Analects of Confucius

《论语》给人类出了一道永恒的必答题——君子、小人之辨。关于这一问题,历代《论语》学家的诠释有很大的不同,大体有两种路径:一是强调君子与小人之内心道德境界的高下对立,即以"德"为主;二是强调君子与小人社会地位的不同,君子当引领小人,关怀小人,即以"位"为主,于是淡化了二者的道德对立。前者以宋学家的诠释为主,后者以汉学家的诠释为主。两种解释路径其实都没有背离孔圣人的原教旨,只是各得一偏。我们千万不能因为近代以来有将孔子拉下神坛的取向,就彻底忘记了孔子本来就重视"德"的原教旨,因此宋学家的诠释并不为错。而且孔子死后2 600多年了,人类太多地关注了"位"的问题,"德"的问题欠账尤多。在这个儒学再一次受到关注的新时代,笔者以为,孔门心中本有的"德"的问题更应该受到重视。

The Analects of Confucius has given mankind a perpetual question to be answered： the distinction between the ＂Junzi＂and the ＂Xiaoren＂. Scholars of Analects through the dynasties have given very different interpretations on this issue,and there are two approaches in general： One is to emphasize the opposition between the high and low of the inner moral realm of ＂Junzi＂and ＂Xiaoren＂,highlighting ＂morality＂; the other is to emphasize the different social status of ＂Junzi＂and ＂Xiaoren＂,and ＂Junzi＂should guide and care for ＂Xiaoren＂,which highlighting the social status and weakening the moral opposition between the two. The former is mainly based on the interpretation of the scholars of the Song Dynasty,and the latter is based on the interpretation of the scholars of the Han Dynasty. Neither of the two paths of interpretation may have deviated from fundamental Confucianism,although each favoring one extreme. We must not completely forget,due to the trend of driving Confucius off the altar since the modern times,that Confucius had originally emphasized the fundamentality of＂morality＂,so the interpretation of the Song scholars is not wrong. Besides,more than 2600 years after Confucius＇ s death,people have paid too much attention to the issue of ＂status＂and have too little attention to the issue of＂morality＂. In this era when Confucianism is once again given much attention to,the author argues that the originally existing issue of＂morality＂in the mind of Confucian scholars should be given more emphasis.