儒家法先王思想的心性论指向——以《四书》为中心的考察

On the Spiritual Nature of Confucian Thought of “Modelling Ancient Kings”——Investigation Centering on Four Books

长期以来,儒家法先王思想被学界定义为一种政治思想,这种认识忽视了心性之学在儒家思想中的根源性地位,割裂了“内圣外王”的整体结构。儒家法先王思想在本质上属于心性之学的范畴,先王是道德圣王,因其心性的至诚至善从而与天命相贯通,一切个体均可通过对先王德性生命的效法逐步臻至天人合一之境。在心性论的基础上延展至政治哲学领域,法先王要求统治者如先王一般,“以不忍人之心,行不忍人之政”,将自我之仁心推及万民,与民同乐,保民而王。

For a long time,scholars define the Confucian thought of modelling ancient kings as a political thought while neglecting the spiritual nature in Confucianism breaks the integrity of “spiritual sage and political king”. The Confucian thought of modelling ancient kings is spiritual in nature. Ancient kings are kings of morality,cohering with Heaven’s will through spiritual honesty and holiness in the highest form,which can be achieved gradually by any individual by modelling the spirituality of ancient kings. The spirituality then extends to political philosophy,demanding political leaders to “administer with mercy” and be benevolent to the common,to enjoy with the common and to lead by protecting,just as ancient kings did.