休谟的人禽之辨——论《人性论》动物论证的意图

Hume’s Distinction Between Human Being and Animal On the Intention of Animal Argument in ATreati se of Human Nature

休谟在《人性论》前两卷对人类知性和人类激情的探讨中,加上了对动物知性和动物激情的探讨作为总结,强调了两者运作方式的相似性。但他的意图并非认为人类在本质上与动物没有区别,而是要把人类与动物放置到同一个自然秩序的图景中,并在此基础上揭示人的独特本质。从自然秩序的角度来看,知性和激情并非人类所独具。人在知性和激情方面的表现,与其他动物只有程度上的差别。因此,属人的本质应当在道德、政治和审美的生活中去寻找。

In the first two volumes of A Treatise of Human Nature,Hume,after discussing human reason and human passion,added the discussion of animal reason and animal passions as some kind of conclusion.Hume emphasized that the two have similar operation modes.However,his intention is not to demonstrate that human beings are essentially the same as animals,but to put them in the same order of nature and describe the unique nature of human beings on this basis.From the perspective of the order of nature,reason and passion are not unique phenomena of human beings.Human performances in terms of reason and passion differ from that of other animals in degree.Therefore,the nature or essence of human beings should be found elsewhere,namely,in moral,political and aesthetic life.