陈确的复性工夫论

Chen Que’s Theory of Gongfu: Fuxing (“Return to Nature”)

与阳明以来的心学传统有所不同,陈确的思想是以先验的性善为理论基础,以“复性”的道德工夫实践彰显性善、实现性善为理论架构建立起来的。在本体与工夫之辨上,他特重工夫,强调不能离开工夫求体,主张以工夫统本体,以外显内,通过道德实践工夫彰显本体的价值与意义,达至至善的圣人之境,使儒家的价值理想不凌空蹈虚。

Unlike Wang Yangming’s traditional theory which considers one’s mind works as the primary, Chen Que’s theory is built on the theoretical basis of a priori goodness of nature and on the theoretical framework in which the goodness of nature is manifested and realized through the moral practice of fuxing(“return to nature”). On the distinction between ontology and gongfu, Chen Que highlights the later, emphasizing that the former cannot be sought without the later. He maintains that gongfu leads to ontology as gongfu is the explicature of ontology in one’s inner nature and the value and meaning of ontology are manifested through moral practice. Only in this way can one finally verge the saintly state of the supreme good, and the values and ideas of Confucianism will not be in vain.