节制美德与以“心”治“欲”--对柏拉图和孟子的一个比较

Temperance and the Treatment of“yu”with“xin”--A Comparative Study of Plato and Mencius

学界通常认为,节制只是西方伦理学而非中国儒家的一个重要德目。但是,参照柏拉图对节制美德的解释,即灵魂中较好的部分对较坏的部分的控制(简称自我克制)以及它们之间的和谐,孟子以"心"治"欲"的思想里蕴含着相似的主张,从中可以发展出儒家的节制美德。由于柏拉图与孟子的形而上学基础不同,在解释节制美德的规范性时,前者将理性对"善的理念"的认知作为自我克制的根本保证,使得欲望与理性之间的和谐成为不可能;后者则将主体的志向或意志作为以"心"治"欲"的关键,"本心"在扩充自己的同时会提升、转化体气,从而真正地实现身心之间的和谐。比照柏拉图的节制美德理论,不仅可以丰富世人对孟子伦理思想的理解,还可以为节制美德理论提供儒家特有的贡献。

It is generally believed that temperance is only an important virtue of western ethics rather than Chinese Confucianism.Referring to Plato’s interpretation of temperance,that is,the control of the better part of the soul over the worse part(self-restraint for short)and the harmony between them,it is not difficult to find that Mencius’thought of"xin"over"yu"contains similar propositions,from which can develop the Confucian virtue of temperance.However,due to the difference between Plato and Mencius’metaphysics,in explaining the normalization of virtue of temperance,the former regarded rational cognition of"the idea of good"as the fundamental guarantee of self-restraint and made the harmony between desire and reason impossible.The latter takes the ambition or will of the subject as the key to"xin"governing"yu",and"xin"will improve and transform"qi"while expanding itself,so as to truly realize the harmony of"yu"and"xin".Therefore,referring to Plato’s theory of temperance can not only enrich our understanding of Mencius’ethical thoughts,but also provide a unique contribution to the theory of temperance in Confucianism.