王阳明哲学遗嘱新论——《有无之境》旧诠之述评反思

On Wang Yangming’s Philosophical Last Words——A reflection on the review of the interpretation of The Realms of Being and Non-Being

不管是平思、田出征之际的师弟论学(从“天泉证道”到“严滩问答”),还是家书中“平生讲学只是致良知三字”的夫子自道,阳明的晚岁思想、哲学遗嘱应该是内在圆融的。“天泉证道”师弟三人的观点恰形成正—反—合的辩证发展,阳明在肯认龙溪“四无”境界的基础上重申四句教言,这与未透本体的德洪对四句教的保守显然意蕴有别。现代学人以文本诠释服务于自家关于宋明理学的宏大思想史叙事,一番诠释使得阳明遗嘱变得支离破碎、自相矛盾:从“天泉证道”到“严滩问答”发生了哲学根本立场的翻转,阳明思想归宿是“四句教”而非“致良知”。儒学特别是宋明理学的研究应正视和强调功夫的重要性,同时作为儒学研究者工作前提的传统心性功夫还应尽可能对所有现代人展现其意义与价值。

Wang Yangming's thoughts and philosophy in his later life are internally integrated,which could be verified from either his discussions(ranging from Tianquan Talk to Yantan Discussion)with his disciples before setting out to Guangxi to quell revolting,or his life reflection in a letter to his family that“the focus of my life-long teaching is only the recuperation of the conscience.”In Tianquan Talk,the points of Wang Yangming and two of his disciples happen to reveal a dialectic development from confirmation,to negation and finally to integration.After recognizing“4 No’s”state proposed by Wang Longxi,one of the two disciples in Tianquan Talk,Wang Yangming reiterated the“4 pedagogic maxims”,which was obviously different from Qian Dehong’s(the other disciple,who did not have a thorough understanding yet)conservative attitude towards the maxims.Modern scholars tend to construct their grand historical narration of thoughts of Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties by way of textual interpretation,which rendered Wang Yangming’s last words disintegrated and self-contradictory:the reverse of fundamental philosophical standpoint from Tianquan Talk to Yantan Discussion.Wang Yangming's philosophical thoughts should be summarized into“the 4 pedagogic maxims”rather than the“recuperation of the conscience.”Those who study Confucianism,especially Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties,should be aware of and emphasize the significance of ability.At the same time,researchers of Confucianism should display to modern people the significance and value of the traditional mind abilities.