中庸之可能与不可能：兼论中庸心理实证研究之困境

The Possibility or Impossibility of Zhongyong: On the Dilemma of the Empirical Psychological Studies on Zhongyong

“中庸”,东汉郑玄释之为“中和之为用也”。基于现代诠释可以认为,中庸是指日常生活为人处世中坚持善的原则运用恰当合理的方式并一以贯之的德行。中庸是至高的道德境界,也是处世的原则和方法,非至诚至仁大智大勇所不能为。然而对于多数人而言,中庸难以成为现实,因此只是儒家思想中的一个属于应然的价值观念。中庸实践对于多数人的不可能性意味着,以大量样本为基础开展的中庸心理实证研究存在着严重的内在悖论,使得中庸心理实证研究并非真正的中庸心理学研究。中庸所具有的浓厚心理体验特性表明,合理的中庸心理研究唯有赖于心理学的质性研究途径。

Zhongyong中庸,according to the interpretation of Zheng Xuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty,means the lofty use of equilibrium and harmony.Based on modern interpretation,it can be argued that Zhongyong is the highest virtue to adhere to the principle of goodness and use appropriate and reasonable methods consistently in all daily life.Only those who are of utmost sincerity,of utmost benevolence,and of great wisdom and courage,can reach the highest moral realm of Zhongyong,and do things according to the principle and method of Zhongyong.For most people,however,Zhongyong is hard to become a reality,so it is only one of the Confucian ideas that belongs to the category of axiological“ought’s”.The strong psychological experience of Zhongyong and the impossibility of the practice of Zhongyong for the majority means that,there is a serious internal paradox in the psychological empirical study of Zhongyong based on a large number of samples,causing the empirical study of Zhongyong not to be accepted as a true psychology of Zhongyong.The strong psychological experience characteristics of Zhongyong shows that,the reasonable approach to psychological study of Zhongyong is only dependent on the qualitative study of psychological interpretation.