《孟子》中的类比与类比推理（英文）

Analogies and Analogical Reasonings in the Mencius

本文从类比是结构之间相似性的关系这一思想开始,并将其应用于分析《孟子》中的例子,揭示类比背后隐藏的复杂性和类比推理的不平凡运用。本文还介绍了这样一种观念,即先秦思想家的道德推理和建议通常针对的是“对”或“错”的行为,并在此区分的基础上,进行宣扬或贬抑。本文还表明,宽泛的类比概念包括诉诸过去、诉诸经典文本、相互性论证和隐喻的某些方面。类比的形式化表述表明了类比的普遍范围和重要性,并支持以下观点:尽管中国思想和中国逻辑具有历史特殊性,但其表征并不应该在使用类比的地方找到。

The article starts from the idea that analogy is a relation of similarity between structures and applies it to analyze examples taken from the Mencius,exhibiting the hidden complexity of analogies and the non trivial use of analogical reasonings.The article also introduces the idea that moral reasonings and recommendations of pre-Qin thinkers very often deal with behaviors which may be qualified as“right”or“wrong”and lead to positive or negative recommendations.It is also shown that a liberal notion of analogy covers reasonings by appeal to the past,to the sacred texts as well as arguments of reciprocity and some aspects of metaphors.This formal presentation of analogies suggests their universal range and significance and lends support to the opinion that while there is a historical specificity of Chinese thinking and of Chinese logic,its characterization should nevertheless be found elsewhere than in the use of analogies.