牟宗三的“道德的宗教”观

Research on the "Moral Religion" of Mou Zongsan

在儒家是否宗教的问题上,牟宗三建基于"天人合一"的本体论,认为儒学是"道德的宗教",道德具有本体性地位,人能通过自己的德行实现不朽。这实质上是个人命运上的"道德决定论",即认为道德可以决定命运、改变命运,体现出自我拯救、自我实现的意识。在"道德的宗教"中,道德具有宗教的功能,不仅能够安置人的物质生命,满足人的情感生命,而且能够提升人的精神生命。与其它宗教相比,"道德的宗教"具有积极的情感指向,主张实现人的生命创生性,这种创生性不仅是"天"的创生性的证明,也是人的神圣性和不朽的表现和实现。牟宗三开辟了一条即道德即宗教的道路,把对儒学是否宗教的问题研究推进到了一个新高度。

On the question of whether Confucianism is a religion,Mou Zongsan put forward the viewpoint of "moral religion" on the basis of the ontology of "harmony between man and nature". He held that morality has ontological status and man can achieve immortality through his virtue. In essence, this is "moral determinism" in personal destiny, which means that morality can determine and change personal fate, reflecting the consciousness of self-salvation and self-realization. In "moral religion", morality has religious functions, not only arranging human physical life and gratifying human emotional life but also elevating human spirit life. Compared with other religions,"moral religion" has a positive emotional orientation, advocating the realization of the creativity of human life, which is the proof of the creativity of "nature" and the manifestation and achievement of human sacredness and immortality. Mou Zongsan blazed a path of morality as religion, and pushed forward the study of the relationship between Confucianism and religion.