“止戈为武”考辩及中华武德核心结构探讨

A textual research on the case of“Stopping Weapon-fighting Is Military”and the discussion of core structure for Chinese martial virtue

通过对“止戈为武”公案展开字源学的考辩,认为:“武”字属会意字,“止”字作为“脚印”的象形字符,其原始赋义逻辑为“双止为行,单止为停”。故而“武”字的原义不排斥“止息干戈”的传统理解,并以“持戈”与“止戈”保持文化张力。武字的“止戈”命题暗含中国文化对于暴力的合理运用、规训和控制,也由此而“自性具足”地生发中华武德“勇-智-仁”核心结构。具体而言,其一,“以暴制暴”的“止戈”,生成武德首要前提之“勇”;其二,“不战而屈人之兵”的“止戈”,生成武德艺术品质之“智”;其三“有戈不杀”的“止戈”,生成武德德性伦理之“仁”。

Through the textual research on the etymology of the academic case of"stopping weapon-fighting is military",it is considered that the word"Wu"belongs to the word of meaning-union,and the word“stopping”,as a pictographic character of"footprint",and then its original meaning logic is"double footprints are walking,single footprint is to stop".Therefore,the original meaning of the word"Wu"does not exclude the traditional understanding of"stopping weapon-fighting",and maintains the cultural tension with"holding weapon"and"stopping weapon-fighting".The proposition of"stopping weapon-fighting"contained in the word“Wu”implies the rational use,discipline and control of violence in Chinese culture,which also produces the core structure of"courage-wisdom-benevolence"of Chinese martial virtue.Specifically speaking:the first situation of"stopping weapon-fighting"is"controlling violence with violence",which generates"courage"as the primary premise of martial virtue;the second situation of"stopping weapon-fighting"is"to stop fighting without weapon",which generates"wisdom"as the artistic quality of martial virtue;the third situation of"stop weapon-fighting"is"stop killing,when we have the weapons",which generates"benevolence"as the virtue ethics of martial virtue.