天何言哉、天人相分与天人之际:儒家人学的复调结构

“Does Heaven Speak”(Tian he yan zai),Separation of Heaven and Mankind(Tian ren xiang fen),and Between the Heaven and the Human(Tian ren zhi ji):The Polyphonic Structure of the Confucian Study on Human Beings

儒家人学旨在对“人是什么”做出回答。这一回答,循宗教与世俗两个向度展开。以前者论,神(天)人关系构成一条主轴;以后者言,人的德性本质构成另一条主线。理解儒家人学,需要同时沿循双线索进行交错观察。从总体上讲,儒家人学起自宗教溃败与政治勃兴之际的政治正当性与合法性危机。因此,神(天)人关系成为儒家人学的一贯主题。由于儒家人学形成于动荡的春秋战国时代,让其成为政治失序的一种人学反应结果。儒家人学由此充分呈现出积极作为的人,如何应对“天不言”情况下的行为主动性建构的特质。直到政治失序危机过去,神(天)人关系再次成为关于人是什么的平衡性主题的时候,儒家人学对人是什么的回答,方才水落石出。如此,儒家人学在天何言哉、天人相分与天人之际的三个复调主题上,呈现其完整结构。

The purpose of the confucian study on human being is to provide an answer to the question of"What is a human being".This answer is approached from both religious and secular perspectives.According to the religious perspective,the relationship between God(Heaven)and man becomes a main axis.According to the secular perspective,the nature of human virtue makes another mainline.Understanding the confucian study on human beings requires simultaneously observing it from two intertwined perspectives.In general,confucian study on human beings originated from a crisis of political legitimacy during the time when religion declined,and politics thrived.Therefore,the relationship between Heaven and man has become a consistent theme in confucian study on human beings.Developed during the turbulent period of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States,confucian study on human beings became a response to political disorder.It has thus fully demonstrated the proactive character in terms of how an active human being confronts the situation of"Heaven remaining silent".Not until the political turmoil crisis subsided and the relationship between God(Heaven)and man once again became the key topic of equilibrium regarding the nature of human beings,confucian study on human beings provided a clear answer to the question of“What is a human being”.Thus,confucianism presents its complete structure in three polyphonic themes:“Does heaven speak”(Tian he yan zai),separation of heaven and mankind(Tian ren xiang fen),and between the heaven and the human(Tian ren zhi ji).