先秦儒者以君主为“言说”对象传播儒家之道的尝试与失败

The Attempt and Failure of the Pre-Qin Confucian Scholars to Spread the Confucianism Doctrines by "Speaking" to the Monarch

战国时期,为政者的地位受到传统贵族的威胁,其有向士人寻求方略的需求,儒者亦将"为帝王师"视为实践其政治思想的重要途径,两者的契合促成了儒者以"言说"为手段向君主传播儒家之道的尝试。但由于先秦儒者"言说"过程中其政治主张常常遭到社会现实的证伪,再加上"言说"中不乏迂远空阔之辞,故其主张难以为君主采纳。儒者在向君主"言说"的尝试受到挫折后,将宣扬儒家之道的对象由君主转向士人,希望通过培养合格的士君子以达到实现儒家政治理想的目的。

During the Warring States period, the politician s status was threatened by the traditional aristocracy, and they had the need to seek the strategy from scholars. The Confucian scholars also regarded the rule of "being the teacher of emperor" as an important way to practice their political thoughts. The agreement between the two contributed to the Confucian attempt to spread Confucianism to the monarch by means of "speaking". However, the thoughts of pre-Qin Confucian scholars were difficult to be accepted by the monarch, because their political claims were often falsified by social reality in the process of "speaking" and they used many circuitous and broad words. After their attempt to "speak" to the monarch was frustrated, they turned to speak to scholars, hoping to realize Confucian political ideals by cultivating accomplished and virtuous men.