命与知命:先秦儒家命论探析

Destiny and Knowing Destiny: An Analysis of the Pre-Qin Confucian Destiny Theory

殷周鼎革,促使人们对君权天授、不可更改的传统天命观念进行反思,"以德配位"成为统治阶级乃至整个社会所认同的天命观念。春秋之际,以孔子为代表的先秦儒家正是在此基础上丰富了"命"的意涵,在"天命"落实到人"命"的过程中,用德性消解天的绝对意志所给予个体命运的限定性,从而彰显出人的道德行为的意义。而作为受命主体的个人,将"知命"建立在个体积极的道德实践中,在自我德行的完善里实现对"命"的把握,从而超越对现实的利益得失以及寿命祸夭的恐惧。此外,先秦儒家还将这种知命的道德实践过程与君子这一人格相结合,树立了儒家君子对待"天命"责任、个人"义命"的基本人生态度,丰富了君子的价值内涵。

The reform of The Yin and Zhou Dynasties urged people to reflect on the Chinese traditional concept of destiny,which was endowed by the monarch and could not be changed,and the concept of destiny that"position leans on virtue"was recognized by the ruling class and even the whole society.During the ChunQiu and ZhanGuo Period,the Pre-Qin Confucianism represented by Confucius enriched the meaning of"destiny"on this basis.In the process of"destiny"being implemented into human’s"destiny",virtue dispelled the limitation of individual destiny given by the absolute will of heaven,thus manifesting the significance of human’s moral behavior.Yet for those individuals who are subject to destiny establish"knowing destiny"in the individual’s positive moral practice,and realize the grasp of"destiny"in the perfection of their own virtue,so as to transcend the fear of realistic benefits and losses as well as the catastrophe of life span.In addition,the pre-Qin Confucianism also combined the moral practice process of knowing destiny with the personality of a gentleman,and set up the basic life attitude of a Confucian gentleman towards the responsibility of"destiny"and personal mission,which enriched the value connotation of a gentleman.