论福泽谕吉对人的理解及其意义

Analysis on Fukuzawa Yukichi’s Conception of Human Essence and Its Modern Significance

福泽谕吉是日本近现代最具代表性的启蒙思想家。他的思想主张、思维方式、教育理念以及实践在日本现代化进程中产生过深远的影响,还对中国、朝鲜半岛等周边国家和地区产生过不同程度的影响,带动了东亚地区的观念变革和社会转型。福泽谕吉对"人"的理解则直接体现了他思想的本质特征。他不认为人是God(造物主)的产物,拒斥一切鬼神,信赖理性,重视作为规律性存在的"天";他强调人拥有区别于禽兽的高贵人性尊严,这种尊严足以超越人类生物性的渺小羸弱;他是坚定的性善论者,相信人有可能依靠自律战胜崇权恶习;他提出"物先伦后"的主张,倡言人生而平等自由,指出人与人应共享"不自由"之间的自由。独立自尊且平等自由,既是福泽谕吉对人的认识理解,也是他所期待的人应有的存在状态。福泽谕吉对人的这种理解成为了他教育理论的思想基础,为他后来建校办学、开展社会教育、塑造崭新理想人格提供了理论支撑。福泽谕吉在对人的理解中引入了天赋人权、自由平等、独立自尊等新观念,表达了当时日本全社会日益增长的平等要求,触发了日本社会整体的革新。

Fukuzawa Yukichi is the most representative enlightenment thinker in modern Japan.His thoughts,ways of thinking,educational ideas and practices have exerted a profound influence on the modernization process in Japan,and also some effects in China,the Korean Peninsula,causing some fundamental changes and social transformations in East Asia.His understanding of“humans”directly reflects the essential characteristics of his ideas.Man was not thought to be the product of God(Creator),ghosts being denied,reason trusted,and“heaven”as a regular existence valued.He emphasized that dignity distinguished human beings from animals.He was a firm believer in the doctrine of good human nature,believing that it was possible to overcome the evil of power by self-discipline.He advocated that all people are created equal and free,that people should share the freedom.Independence,self-respect and equality are not only his understanding of human beings,but also his expectation of human beings.Fukuzawa s understanding of humans became the ideological foundation of his educational theory,which provided theoretical support for his establishment of schools,development of social education and shaping of a new ideal personality.His understanding of humans introduced new concepts such as natural&legal rights,freedom and equality,independence and self-respect,which expressed the growing demand for equality and triggered the overall reform in the Japanese society at that time.