《论语》与《旧约》的中西农牧社会德性观比较

Difference on Virtues of Character Between The Old Testament and Analects of Confucius

《论语》和《旧约》均立足于中西古代以畜牧农耕为主的传统社会,其包含的契约精神与仁爱主张既是农业文明的产物,也是古代人民对和谐社会的向往与追求,对于中西当代社会的文明发展有着无可比拟的影响力,体现了中西伦理价值观形成的悠久历史与传统。在《旧约》叙事中,上帝给选民的应许之地意味着以畜牧业为主的古代以色列人终于可以结束颠沛流离的生活,也意味着原始农业的开始。于是,在这样一个生产力低下,生产关系简单的原始农业社会,上帝的言语行为无异于社会规范,并代表着自然法则,其与以色列人之间所立的契约也被等同于律书,并影响了古代近东各民族价值观的形成与发展。但《旧约》在强调社会规范及其约束力的同时,却忽视了个人的内心修养和人性的塑造。与《旧约》同一时代的《论语》却恰恰相反地强调了个体修炼的重要性。孔子认为"君子谋道不谋食",故而站在修身养性的角度提倡"克己复礼以为仁",强调了本心修炼对礼和道的重要性。由此可见,《论语》和《旧约》蕴含的不同德性观与传统社会的农业发展和需求有着密切的关系,两者的比较不但从根本上解释了中西传统道德价值观差异的历史文化根源,更是引发了当代社会对德性问题的追溯与思考。

Both The Old Testament and Analects of Confucius were compiled in the ancient society with farming as main production and have a profound influence on modern civilization,in which legal spirit and humanity are stemmed from the agricultural civilization and indicate the people＇s pursuit for peaceful and harmonious society.In The Old Testament,the Promised Land means the end of the straying life of ancient Israel,which is the beginning of the ancient agriculture.Words for the God are not only the social norms but also the natural rules,so,the contract between the God and Israel is regarded as the law,and is awed by the ancient Israel.This is the main reason for the moral values in The Old Testament.However,virtues of character focus on moral and social norm and neglect the humanity and individual.On the contrary,the Analects of Confucius emphasize the individual emotion and cognitive ability.The Confucius insisted that the inner benevolence is prior to the external behavior.The Old Testament and Analects of Confucius have different virtues of character and explain the historical and traditional reasons for the difference on moral values between the West and the East,intriguing the deep thinking about the current virtues of character and its improvement.