阳明良知概念的否定性特征及其理论后果

The Negative Characteristics of Yangming’s Concept of Conscience and Its Theoretical Consequences

阳明良知概念最根本的一层含义是不学而能的先天能力。良知是道德情感和法则的统一体,是道德之源,德性之知,当循从本心。阳明从许多方向对良知进行了论证。从根本上言,良知学是主张孤立的心灵和自我的一种理论形态,它试图离开社会、经验、传统和环境设想和理解良知。严格遵循良知理论,必然会产生实践困境和缺陷。良知所走的是独白路径,缺少与不同价值的互动,缺少他者、反思和商谈的维度,缺少理性的商谈,也因此缺少真正的自我审视自我批判。良知学否定尊德性之外道问学的必要性,轻视尊德性内道问学的重要性,从而忽略了道德实践的物质条件、知识储备和道德技术学,没有它们,道德就会退化成毫无力量的良好愿望。良知学突出和强调道德主体的自觉能动地位和担当精神,对当时流行的思想有纠偏除弊之功,亦参与引发了后来的思想解放运动,对今日道德建设也有重要意义,但是,良知学的当代利用,对上列问题不可不察,良知概念需要进行时代的转化。

The most fundamental meaning of Yangming's concept of conscience is the innate ability to do a thing easily and naturally without learning.Conscience is the unity of moral emotion and law,the source of morality,the knowledge of virtue,which follows the heart.Yangming has demonstrated the conscience from many perspectives.Fundamentally speaking,the study of conscience is a theoretical form that advocates an isolated mind and self.It attempts to leave society,experience,tradition and environment to conceive and understand conscience.Strict adherence to the theory of conscience will inevitably lead to practical dilemmas and defects.Conscience is taking the path of monologue,lacking in interaction with different values,in the dimensions of others,reflection and negotiation,in rational negotiation,and therefore in true self-examination of self-criticism.The study of conscience denies the necessity of respecting the sincere nature by means of self-cultivation from the outside,despises the importance of respecting the sincere nature by means of self-cultivation inside,thus overlooking the material conditions of moral practice,knowledge reserve and moral technology,without which morality will degenerate into a good desire without power.The study of conscience highlights and emphasizes the conscious and active position of the moral subject and the spirit of responsibility.It has the power to correct and eliminate the prevailing thoughts at that time,and participates in the later ideological emancipation movement,which is also of great significance to today's moral construction.However,the contemporary use of conscience can never shun the above problems,and the concept of conscience needs to be transformed to keep up with the times.