天性责任、气性责任与才性责任——儒家三大人性责任形态思想论析

Nature Responsibility,Temperament Responsibility and Talent Responsibility——An Analysis of the Three Forms of Human Responsibility of Confucianism

儒家往往把人性论作为构建责任伦理的逻辑起点和思想前提。儒家人性论阐述了“天性”“气性”“才性”“欲性”“智性”“善性”“恶性”“德性”等人性形态的内容、形式、功能和特点,其中儒家所说的“天性”“气性”“才性”对责任伦理具有引导性、推动性作用。“天性”决定了人挖掘人先天潜能、因材施教、尊重顺应人天性和合理开发人本能的责任。依据人的气性,儒家不仅提出了屏气出气、变化气质、修道教化等责任伦理要求,还指明了挖掘优良气质之性、注重社会环境熏习和培育高雅豪迈气质等责任内容。以孟荀为代表的儒家才性论,其宗旨均是引导人向善,确立趋善避恶的责任心,如果说孟子的才性论更为强调人行善的可能性,那么荀子的才性论则凸现人性趋善避恶的必要性,但它们共同为责任伦理建构提供实践前提。

Confucianists often regards the theory of human nature as the logical starting point and ideological premise for constructing the general ethics and responsibility ethics.It elaborates the content,form,function and characteristics of human nature forms such as nature,temperament,talent,desire,intelligence,goodness,malignancy and morality.Among them,the Confucian nature,temperament and talent have a guiding and promoting role in responsibility ethics.Nature determines the responsibility for people to tap their innate potentials,teach according to their aptitude,respect and conform to human nature and develop human instincts reasonably.Based on human temperament,Confucianism not only put forward ethical requirements for breath-holding,changing temperament,and Taoism,but also pointed out the responsibilities of digging out good temperament,focusing on social environment,and cultivating elegant and bold temperament.The Confucian theory of talent represented by Mencius and Xunzi has the purpose of guiding people to the good and establishing a sense of responsibility for advancing the good and avoiding the evil.Mencius’ theory of talent puts more emphasis on the possibility of doing good.Xunzi’s theory of talent highlights the necessity of human nature to become good and avoid evil.Together,they provide practical premises for the construction of responsibility ethics.