儒家伦理性情论与理情说的三种源初型态

Three Primary Models of Confucian Ethics Theory on Temperament and Reason

中国传统文化中“情”彰显丰厚意蕴,并常与人之“性”关联,同时不失“理”之调适。先秦时期儒家创始人孔子、孟子、荀子等思想家,注重于以性说情,或以情释性,主张性、情一体;同时又主张以理调情、节情、制情,或以礼挈情、导情,而“礼也者,理也”。孔子“仁”学兼性与情,以孝弟(悌)的自然亲情为始,推己及人而泛爱众;主张以知利仁、因情以礼,以礼挈情。孟子以恻隐、羞恶、恭敬、是非之心说仁义礼智四端性善,“心统性情”,四端之性亦为四端之情,并以之为人之“大体”;主张反求诸己求放心,理义调情,立“大体”之德以控制“小体”之情欲。荀子认为情不可免,从人的自然情感说性;主张以理节情,使情中理、中流,并主张化性起伪,称情而立文,以通“理”之礼养情、饰情、导情、兼情。先秦思想家孔子、孟子、荀子有关性、情、理的思想构成儒家伦理中性情论与理情说的源初型态,其后儒学家大多专注于性、情、理阐释及其关系探究,由此影响着中国传统哲学的学术脉路,通情达理成为中华民族文化和国民性格的独特印记。

Emotion has plentiful meanings in Chinese culture and always correlates with human nature,as well as adjusted by reason.Original Confucian thinkers during the Pre-Qin period including Confucius,Mencius and Xunzi proposed integrating human nature with emotions since they either attached importance to explaining emotion with nature or explained nature with emotion,as well as proposed adjusting,moderating and controlling emotion through reason,raising and guiding emotion through ceremony since ceremony also meaning reason.Confucius’theory of benevolence contained both nature and emotion,proposed natural emotions such as filial piety and fraternal duties as the beginning,putting oneself in the position of the other up to loving everyone;as well as advocated benefiting the benevolence through knowledge,attaching proprieties through emotion,and raising emotion through the rite.Mencius explained four incipiencies including benevolence,righteousness,propriety and wisdom as good natures through four minds including sympathy,shame,respect,right and wrong,proposed minds unifying both nature and emotion,the four incipient natures were also four incipient emotions,as well be taken as the great aspects of persons;advocated seeking abandoned minds through reflecting and examining oneself,adjusting emotion through both reason and righteousness as well establishing morals of great aspects firstly thus to restrain small aspects of the sensual desire of the individual.Xunzi thought that emotions were unavoidable since he explained human nature through natural emotions,advocated restraining emotions through reason,guiding emotions conforming to both reason and grade,as well advocated transforming nature to the fake,founding culture through matching emotions,cultivating emotions,modifying emotions,guiding emotions and integrating emotions through reasonable ceremonies.Theories about human nature,emotion and reason of Confucius,Mencius and Xunzi during the Pre-Qin period constituted the primary models of theories on both human nature and emotion as well as theories on disciplining emotion through reason of ethics of Chinese Confucian.Afterward,Confucian scholars paid much attention to interpreting nature,emotion and reason as well as exploring their relationship,which extremely affected the subjects and academic rational roads of Chinese traditional philosophy,as well as being both understanding and reasonable became the specific signs of both culture and character of the Chinese nation.