《理想国》和《论语》中的性别观比较

Comparison of Gender Views in The Republic and The Analects of Confucius

作为中西方哲学和政治思想的源头,柏拉图与孔子的地位无可置疑,他们对女性的观点和态度也对后世影响深远。柏拉图因女性可以成为城邦的护卫者而被有些学者看做西方女性主义的源头,而孔子却因一句"唯女子与小人难养也"而被批判为蔑视女性,屡遭诟病。本文选取表现二者思想的代表性作品《理想国》和《论语》,阐释、分析其中涉及女性的文本,试图澄清二者对女性的根本看法,通过对性别观进行比较,认为二者都是为了国家整体利益的最大化,将女性摆在了各自认为合适的位置,并没有对女性特别的歧视,而二者的区别仅在于在位置分配过程中,柏拉图选择了阶级优先,而孔子选择了性别优先。

As the sources of Western and Chinese philosophical and political thoughts, Plato and the Confucius enjoyed indisputably important status in their respective cultures. Their views and attitudes toward women also have far-reaching influences on later generations. Plato is seen by some scholars as the source of Western feminism because he thinks that women can be the guardians of states. Confucius,however,was criticized for his contempt of women due to the phrase ＂only women and villains are difficult to support＂. This article selects texts about women from their representative works,The Republic and The Analects of Confucius,to interpret and analyze,as an attempt to clarify the fundamental views of the two philosophers about women.By comparing their perspectives on gender,we found that women are placed in appropriate positions by both of them in order to maximize the country＇s overall interests and there is no specific discrimination against women.The only difference between the two is that in the process of location allocation,Plato chose class as priority and Confucius chose gender.