《论语·雍也》“宰我问仁”章新解

A New Interpretation on the Chapter Entitled“Zai Wo Asks for Benevolence”in the Analects of Confucius Yongye

《论语·雍也》有“宰我问仁”一章,历来对其注解众多。根据对“井有仁焉”的理解不同,大抵存在2种解读:一种认为井中有人(或仁人);一种认为宰我以“井中之仁”设喻,“仁”或可通过行事而取。2种解读似乎都忽视了“君子可欺”相悖于儒家忠信之道的事实。文章考察历代注家对本章之释义,联系《周易》之《井》卦剖析“井有仁焉”所含蕴的意义;并结合出土文献,以及对“欺”“罔”等诸字之研析,将“《井》卦之仁”与“君子之仁”“圣人之仁”试作勾连。该章中,孔子与宰我的对话焦点,或为君子可施“《井》卦之仁”。

In the Analects of Confucius,there is a chapter entitled“Zai Wo asks for benevolence”,which has been the subject of numerous commentaries.According to different interpretations of the phrase“there is benevolence in the well”,there are generally two tendencies of interpretation:one is that there was someone in the well(or a benevolent person);the other is that it was used as a metaphor by Zai Wo,“benevolence”may be obtained by acting.Both tendencies seem to ignore the fact that“the gentleman may be deceived”,contrary to the faithfulness of Confucianism.This paper examines the interpretations of this chapter by commentators of past dynasties,and reanalyses the phrase“there is benevolence in the well”on a combination of the Well trigram in the Zhou Yi.This paper also attempts to draw a connection between the benevolence of“well”trigram and the“benevolence of the gentleman and saint”with the help of the unearthed literature,as well as the research and analysis of the words such as“deceive”and“reluctant”.The focus of the dialogue between Confucius and Zai Wo in this chapter may be whether or not it is feasible for a gentleman to be“benevolent in well trigram”.