从“四端”到“四海”:孟子公共性思想的进路

From “Four Principles” to “Four Seas”:The approach of Mencius’ thought of publicity

公共性是人在世的本质属性之一,孟子对此多有发挥。孟子主张人具有"四端"之心,"四端"之心既描述了个体的善良本性和道德理性,也是人通向良好公共生活的基础,能为人在"四海"意义上的公共生活中构建人性前提。孟子认为,在现实的公共生活中,人应该具有公共情怀和公共理性,以公共性价值作为优先原则。为政者在使用公权力的时候,要将私人利益追求服从于公共理性诉求,以民众作为公共政治的根本,将民心、民意作为公权力使用的依据和约束,以仁政的治理路径来达成王道的公共生活理想,从而实现从"四端"的个体之善到"四海"的公共之善。

Publicity is one of the essential attributes of our being in the world, and about this issue, Mencius has given full play. Mencius advocates that everyone has “Four Principles”, which describes not only the individual’s kind nature and moral reason, but also the basis for human beings to lead a good public life, and which can construct premise of human nature in the public life in the sense of “Four Seas”. Mencius believes that in real public life, we should have public devotion and ration, and set priority to public values. Those in power, when using public power, should submit the pursuit of private interests to the appeal of public reason,take the masses as the basis of public politics, treat public morale and public mind as the constraints for public power use, and attain the ideal public life in the way of benevolent governance, so as to achieve the realization from the good of the individual of the “Four Principles” to the good of the public of the “Four Seas”.