中国人日常生活中的“耻”“脸”与“面子”——对近代以来国民性批判中的“面子问题”之省思

“Shame”,“Face” and “Mianzi” in the Everyday Life of the Chinese:A Reflection of the “Mianzi Problem” in the Criticism of Nationality since the Modern Times

通过对近代以来国民性批判中的“面子问题”之省思,可知批判者们没有真正辨析“耻”“脸”与“面子”的内在联系和本质差异。儒家的“耻”观念是“脸”与“面子”的真正内核,“脸”是面对自我的道德性的耻,它是以耻为标识的人格尊严的“形象”。而“面子”则是面对他者的社会性的耻,它是作为人格尊严之形象的“脸”在他者心里留下的特定心理地位。“面子”与“礼”的形式主义有密切关联,“礼”本来是要为社会群体提供一套普遍的行为规范,但事实上却容易陷入形式主义的窠臼,“面子”的形式化是对人格尊严的弃绝和道德价值的颠覆。儒家文化中的耻感取向在培养道德人格时具有重要意义,有助于培育崇德知耻的国民性格。

A reflection of the“mianzi problem”in the criticism of nationality since the modern times reveals that the critics do not really distinguish the inner relationship and essential difference between“shame”,“face”and“mianzi”.The Confucian concept of“shame”is the real core of“face”and“mianzi”.“Face”is the moral shame of facing the self,which is the“image”of the human dignity with shame as a symbol.However,“mianzi”is the social shame of facing the other,which is the specific psychological status left in the other’s heart by“face”as the image of human dignity.“Mianzi”is closely related to the formalism of“ritual”.“Ritual”is originally intended to provide a common set of behavioral norms for social groups,but inclined to fall into the trap of formalism whereas the formalization of“mianzi”is the rejection of human dignity and the subversion of moral values.The orientation for the sense of shame in Confucian culture is of great significance in cultivating moral personality,which helps to cultivate the national character of respect for morality and awareness of shame.