先秦诸子对“性恶”的超越及其价值旨归

Pre-Qin Scholars’Transcendence of Evil Human Nature and Its Value Orientation

以荀子“性恶”为代表的先秦儒墨道法诸家关于人性之恶的种种论述或以“性恶”立说引出性善之论,或将人性之恶作为阐发政治观点的理论依据,或是因人的原初淳朴否定了恶的客观实在性,从而呈现出一种超越“性恶”的哲学态度。总体上看,先秦诸子超越人性之“恶”的实质,就荀子“性恶”论而言,是注重对人进行后天德性培养;就儒家“幽暗意识”而言,是强调君子应当自觉加强德性修养以战胜人性中的昏暗力量;就老庄“自然人性”而言,是回归“浑沌”以恢复并葆有人性的原初淳朴;就墨家、法家性“恶”说而言,是尽可能地消解、摒除由“恶”导致的不良后果以建立稳固的社会规范。由此可知,注重人的德性的后天培养、建立稳固的社会规范、营造安定有序的社会发展环境是先秦诸子超越人性之“恶”的价值旨归。

Confucianism,Mohism,Taoism and Legalism in the pre-Qin period held the following views on the evil of human nature:fetching out the theory of original goodness of human nature from Xuncius’s thoughts on“Xing E”(evil human nature);taking the evil of human nature as the theoretical basis for expounding political views;denying the objective reality of“Xing E”in the name of natural humanity.The pre-Qin scholars showed a philosophical attitude beyond“Xing E”.The transcendence of the“Xing E”of human nature in the pre-Qin Dynasty is manifested in the following four aspects:Xuncius’s theory of“Xing E”is a theory which aims at cultivating people’s acquired virtue as the core;to study the“dim consciousness”of Confucianism is to emphasize that the gentleman should consciously strengthen the cultivation of virtue in order to overcome all kinds of dark forces in human nature;to reflect on Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu’s“natural humanity”is to return to“the original and natural living environment”in order to restore and preserve the original simplicity of human nature;the“Xing E”theory of Mohism and Legalism is to eliminate all the bad consequences caused by“evil”to the greatest extent and then establish solid social norms.From this,we can conclude the value purport of the pre-Qin scholars to transcend“Xing E”of human nature:paying attention to the cultivation of human virtue,establishing solid social norms and creating a stable and orderly social development environment.