中国传统慈善思想的伦理意境

The Ethical Prospect of Chinese Traditional Philanthropic Thought

中国传统社会中慈善体现的道德觉醒实际上是通过伦理的方式呈现出来的,个人通过行善完成自己所负伦理使命的同时成就自我之德,从而实现修身、齐家、治国乃至平天下的道德愿景。中国传统慈善思想不但强调"慈"的道德动机,而且凸显"善"的伦理结果。施善者之"慈"的根源在于其所处的伦理世界的规定,并表现为一种以人伦情感为依托的伦理救赎。通过这种救赎,施善者既增进自我之"善"的修成,又促成人伦之"善"的和谐以及实现"移风易俗"的伦理教化,并以此共同构建一种以"生生"为内核的伦理意境。仁者爱人、推己及人的"仁爱"理念与现代慈善理念本质上并无冲突,其最终目的都在于增进伦理和谐,改善社会风气。现代社会对传统慈善模式构成的挑战,并不意味着传统慈善理念已完全失去了其存在理由或效用,其体现的正德、厚生、利用、唯和等精神,仍成为当代慈善实践的重要价值指引。

The moral awakening of charity in Chinese traditional society is actually presented by way of ethics,people complete their ethical missions and self-virtues by doing good deeds,so as to realize the moral vision of“personal cultivation to governing country”.Chinese traditional philanthropic thought not only emphasizes moral motivation of“benevolence”,and highlights the ethical results o“f goodness”.The giver’s“benevolence”is based on his provisions of the ethical world,and represents ethical salvation relying on a kind of human emotion.Through this kind of salvation,the giver both enhances his self-virtues,and promotes the“goodness”of human relations,realizes the ethical edification of a social custom reform,and in this way,an ethical prospect of“continuous growth”as the core is represented.There is no conflict between the kind-heartedness thought of the Confucianism which manifests“the benevolent loves others”and“considering others in one’s own place”and the concept of the modern philanthropy,their ultimate aim is to promote ethical harmony and improve the social atmosphere.The modern society challenging the traditional charity mode does not mean that the traditional concept of charity has completely lost its existence reason or utility,its spirit of virtue,growth,utilization,harmony and etc.still remains an important value guidance of contemporary philanthropic practice.