“大德者必受命”:儒家德福关系的内在逻辑

The Inner Logic of the Relationship Between Virtue and Happiness in Confucianism

儒家思想中,“大德者”与“受命”之间具有必然性,而且“大德”和“位”“禄”“名”“寿”等福也存在内在、必然的关系。万物各有其命并通过德把命表现于现实。与“自然物”不同,人作为道德主体具有道德的自觉能力,可以以此来体认命、实现命。在此过程中,人与物相互成就,福就在人实现自己天命的现实过程中生成。因此,“位”“禄”“名”“寿”等具有现实意义的福内含在命中,并实现于德中。尽管现实社会中会出现德与福不一致的情况,但这是因为人具有自由的意志,既能自觉成德,也会私心自用。当人溺于私心时,则不能体会命、实现德,社会发展也可能因此而不能全合于道。但这并不影响儒家思想中德与命的统一性,以及德福一致这一内在逻辑的成立。

In Confucianism,there is an inevitability between“the great virtue”and“the fated”Moreover,there is an inherent and inevitable relationship between“the great virtue”and happiness such as“position”“interests”“reputation”“longevity”and other blessings.Everything expresses its destiny in reality through virtue.Unlike“natural objects”,humans,as moral subjects,possess moral self-awareness and can use it to recognize and realize destiny.It can be used as a way to recognize and fulfill one’s destiny.In this process,humans and natural things achieve each other,and happiness is generated in the actual process of realizing one’s destiny.Therefore,the happiness,ie.“position”“interests”“reputation”“longevity”,which has meaningfulblessings are contained in destiny and realized in morality.Because humans have a free will,which canconsciously become virtuous and also be used for personal gain,there may be contradictions between moralityand happiness in real society.When one indulges selfish and self-satisfied,then he cannot experience thedestiny and realize the virtue,even the social development may not be all together as“Dao”.But this does not affect the unity of virtue and destiny in Confucianism,as well as the establishment of the internal logic of theunity of virtue and fortune.