《孟子》“天下之言性也”章新解

A new interpretation on the chapter of“people’s opinion of human nature”in Mencius

《孟子·离娄下》“天下之言性也”章之训释,学界向来歧异迭出,其根源在于此章首末二句语气上的背反。推究孟子原意,“人性善”本是最为简单直观的事实。然而为论证自己学说、主张的合理性,各家纷纷生造种种不合“人性善”之事实的性论,此即孟子在本章第二句中所批判的“穿凿”。“故”字应释为“原故”,“利”字则当释为“便于用”。孟子对“故(原故)”本身、对“为主张提供‘原故’‘依据’”的做法并无异议,所批判者乃“穿凿”“生造”性论以为“故”。由此可以贯通全章语气,为此章提供一个新的理解视角与合理诠释。

The interpretation on the chapter of“people’s opinion of human nature”in Mencius·Li Lou Xia has always been controversial in academic circles.The root cause lies in the inversion of tone in the first and last sentences of the chapter.To investigate the original intention of Mencius,the idea that“human nature is good”is the simplest and most intuitive fact.However,in order to demonstrate the rationality of their own theories and propositions,various scholars have created various theories of nature that are not in line with the idea of“human nature is good”,which is the“穿凿(giving strained interpretations and drawing farfetched analogies)”that Mencius criticized in the second sentence of this chapter.The word“故(Gu)”should be interpreted as“the original cause”,and the word“利(Li)”should be interpreted as“easy to use”.Mencius has no objection to the“故(the original cause)”itself,and the practice of“providing‘reason’and‘foundation’for claims”.Therefore,it can provide a new understanding perspective and reasonable interpretation for the whole chapter.