道与学——孟子圣道传承论及其现代意义

Dao and Learning: Mencius Theory on Inheriting the Sacred Dao and Its Significance

儒家“传道”之义,肇端自孔子,孟子据此提出了自己的圣道传承论。此圣道传承,包括“道”“学”两面的统一。在传道的谱系中,“闻而知之”的圣人,以内在性的倾听独知天道,凸显了“道”的超越性意义;“见而知之”的贤人,将圣人得自于天的创作落实为制度典常,凸显了“道”的实践品格。此“道”既有理性人文义的开显,亦保有个体证会独知的超越性意义,而不陷于非理性的神秘主义。孟子自觉担当圣道之传,其“学”的一面,乃由子思、曾子而上溯宗本于孔子,表现了一种强烈的学术新统建构的意识和自觉。孟子继孔子集“圣”“学”为一体之学统建构,不仅是“学”的接续,更是一种道义的担当。“道”落实于“学”,乃以一种名言逻辑和理性自觉的方式十字打开,引领社会的精神生活,展开为一种可大可久的活的文化传统。孟子的圣道传承思想,对中国思想学术的当代建构,仍具有重要的启示意义。

Confucians emphasize inheriting the orthodoxy of Dao.Although the doctrine of orthodoxy began in the Tang and Song dynasties,the idea of inheriting the Dao actually originated from Confucius,who not only spent his whole life practicing benevolence for the sake of the Dao and holding fast to the integrated Dao until his death,but also confidently constructed his own“Dao”.Confucius considered the“Dao”as his“own Dao”and traced it to ancient sages,which are not contradictory in effect.Mencius takes as his duty to succeed the Dao from three generations of sages:Emperors Yao and Shun,Kings Wen and Wu,and Confucius,and systematically expounds the orthodoxy of Dao passed down by Confucius,putting forward his own theory on inheriting the sacred Dao,which includes the unified lineages of“Dao”and“learning”.In the case of“Dao”,Mencius lists the following series of lineage:Emperor Yao,Emperor Shun,King Tang of Shang,King Wen of Zhou,and Confucius.As for the case of learning,the lineage lists Confucius,Zengzi,Zisi,and Mencius.The former lineage reverts to the ancient for a new germination and focuses on establishing a transcendent ground of existence.In this lineage,the sages,who“knew by hearing”,knew the Dao of Heaven alone through inner hearing,highlighting the transcendent significance of the“Dao”.The worthy men,who“knew by seeing”,realized the Heaven-given creation by sages into regimes and customs,highlighting the practical character of the“Dao”.This“Dao”sheds light on rational humanism,and also commits individuals knowing alone transcendently,rather than makes them lost in irrational mysticism.As for the latter lineage,Mencius traces“learning”back to Confucius from Zisi and Zengzi,showing a strong awareness and consciousness of constructing a new academic tradition.Mencius lineage of learning,succeeding Confucius s integrating of“sage”and“learning”,is not only continuation of“learning”,but also moral obligation.The implementation of the“Dao”in“learning”sets up a cross of the logical-semantic and the rational-conscious ways,leads the spiritual life of society,and unfolds into a living cultural tradition that can be blooming and long-lasting.Mencius idea of unifying the inheritance of the sacred Dao and the construction of academic tradition has become a basic path for succeeding Confucianism and Chinese thoughts and culture hereafter.In recent years,scholars are no longer satisfied with working merely on previous research literature,and begun to turn to the ideological construction in order to return to the tradition,adding to their research some Mencius components or elements of constructing“lineage of learning”,which is quite a meaningful progress.However,lacking the basis of transcendent value identification in the aspect of“lineage of Dao”,this academic construction will inevitably take on an intellectual and technical mask,instead of being truly concerned with morality-customs and heart-minds.In such a context,Mencius idea of inheriting the sacred Dao will continue to shed light on the contemporary construction of Chinese thoughts and scholarship.