孟子“四心”“四端”与“四德”的真实逻辑

The True Logic Between Mencius’ “Four Minds” “Four Beginnings” and “Four Virtues”

两千多年来,对孟子言说的“四心”“四端”与“四德”三者逻辑关系的诠释,主要形成了两条路线:一是认为“四心”是“四德”的外用、萌芽或体现,不妨称为“四心萌芽说”;二是主张“四心”为“四德”之体,是“四德”的情感本源,不妨概括为“四心本源说”。实际上,无论是总体而言还是在具体上,仁义礼智既是德性,也是德心,更是人应当履行的责任伦理(德行);“四心”并非“四德”的萌芽、体现,它不但与“四德”相互作用、相互依存、互为条件,更是构成“四德”的心理本源,为“四德”奠定情感根基。这是因为:一是“端”具有始基、原因的义项;二是孟子肯定了“四心”与“四德”是人的才质;三是“四心”为“四德”奠定了情感基础;四是虽然孟子承认“四心”和“四德”是内在的并凸显仁义内在的一面,但是他有时也肯定“四德”的外在性;五是最重要的,孟子明确指明过“四心”是“四德”的根源;六是把“四心”理解成为成就“四德”提供心性基础,更能彰显孟子对儒学的创造性贡献。

The interpretations of the logic between Mencius’“Four Minds”,“Four Beginnings”and“Four Virtues”have fallen into two camps.One deems that Four Minds is the external function,germination or embodiment of Four Virtues,which may be called the theory of Four Minds as germination.The other considers Four Minds as the substance and emotional origin of Four Virtues,which can be summarized as the theory of Four Minds as root.The author of this paper endorses the theory of Four Minds as root,believing that benevolence,righteousness,propriety and wisdom are the nature of virtue,mind of virtue as well as responsibility ethics(moral integrity)that people should fulfill.What’s more,the author thinks that Four Minds is not the germination and embodiment of Four Virtues.On the contrary,the two are mutually conditioned,interacting with and depending on each other.Moreover,Four Minds also constitutes the psychological origin of Four Virtues,laying the emotional foundation for the latter.The main reasons are as follows:first,Beginning has the meaning of original foundation and cause;second,Mencius affirmed that Four Minds and Four Virtues were man’s basis of talent;third,Four Minds lay an emotional foundation for Four Virtues;fourth,although Mencius admitted that Four Minds and Four Virtues were intrinsic and highlighted the intrinsic side of benevolence and righteousness,he sometimes affirmed the externality of Four Virtues;fifth,most importantly,Mencius clearly pointed out that Four Minds was the origin of Four Virtues;and sixth,the interpretation of Four Minds as the psychological foundation of Four Virtues can better demonstrate Mencius’creative contribution to Confucianism.