阳明学派对小人是否有良知的讨论——以《大学·诚意》“小人闲居为不善”的解读为中心

Yangming School’s Discussion over a Petty Man’s Conscience——On the interpretation of"a petty man’s idle life is not good"

朱熹《大学章句》解“诚意”章,认为小人并非不知是非善恶,但不能“诚其意”,朱熹晚年认为,小人不能“诚其意”,是“知不至”,对小人知是非善恶又予以较多否定。王阳明讲人人皆有良知,从心之本体上讲知善知恶的良知,并认为小人亦有良知,但同时又认为小人不可能“致良知”“诚其意”,因而会“以善为恶”“以恶为善”,结果是“虽曰知之,犹不知也”,实际上又否定小人之有良知。阳明后学对小人是否有良知的问题有所讨论,虽观点不一,但都强调“诚其意”。由此亦可看出阳明学派对于小人是否有良知这一问题的谨慎态度。

According to the chapter devoted to"Cheng Yi"of Zhu Xi’s"Study of Da Xue",he believes that a petty man is not unable to distinguish right from wrong and goodness from evil,but unable to"be sincere in thought."In his later years,Zhu Xi becomes more negative towards a petty man’s ability to discern right from wrong and goodness from evil by his reasoning that it is the"limitless of knowledge"that a petty man couldn’t"be sincere in thought."In preaching that everyone has conscience,Wang Yangming talks about the conscience for a man to know goodness and evil from the ontology of mind,and believes that a petty man also has conscience.But at the same time,he thinks that a petty man couldn’t"recuperate conscience"or"be sincere in thought,"and therefore would"take goodness as wrong,and vice versa,"the result of which is that"though he says he knows it,but actually he doesn’t,"which in fact is Wang’s denial that a petty man has conscience.Discussion on this question among Wang’s followers somehow continues with different viewpoints,but they all emphasize"being sincere in thought,"which reveals their cautious attitude in this issue of Yangming School.