“行义以达道”--论孔子天命观的个体转向与道德诉求

“Holding on Righteousness to Achieve Dao”--On the Individual Turning and Moral Appeal of Confucius’s View of Destiny

孔子天命观在殷周原初天命观的基础上完成了由王权向个体的转化,从而将“天命”的核心内涵与人之个体紧密地联系起来。其具体表现为“天命”对人的双重赋予:一方面,“天命”通过对人的生死穷通等外在客观限制,完成了“天命”对人的自然性赋予;另一方面,“天命”通过对有志于成为君子的个体之人内在心性的限制,要求人们不断修己德以达“天道”,完成了“天命”对人的道德性赋予。此二者中,孔子天命观将“天命”的道德性赋予放在更为突出的位置,强调“天命”对人的道德性要求,个体之人唯有自觉承担此德性修养,才能实现主体道德的高扬。

On the basis of the original concept of Mandate of Heaven in Shang and Zhou Dynasties,Confucius’s concept of Mandate of Heaven completed the transformation from kingship to individual,thus closely linking the core connotation of“Mandate of Heaven”with the individual of human being.Its concrete manifestation is the double endow of“destiny”to man.On the one hand,“Mandate of Heaven”completes the natural nature endowed by“Mandate of Heaven”to human beings through external objective restrictions such as the connection between poverty or richness and life or death;On the other hand;“Mandate of Heaven”requires people to constantly cultivate their own virtues to achieve the“Dao of Heaven”by limiting the inner nature of individuals who are willing to be a man with complete virtue,thus completing the moral endowing of“Mandate of Heaven”to people.Among the two,Confucius’s view of Mandate of Heaven placed the moral nature of“Mandate of Heaven”in a more prominent position,emphasizing the moral requirements of“Mandate of Heaven”on people.Only by consciously undertaking the cultivation of this moral nature can individuals realize the high morality of the subject.