论古希腊节制观念的源起与节欲论的生成

On the Origin of the Temperance Idea in Ancient Greece and the Generation of Abstinence Theory

节制是古希腊伦理学的一个重要概念。运用道德发生学的溯源法可以揭示节制观念的起源和节制概念的生成,展现节欲论的理论建构过程。检索节制一词在希腊古籍中的踪迹,可以看到荷马时代的希腊人已经初步形成节制的观念,是为古希腊节制观的思想源头。经过智者、苏格拉底、柏拉图的界定,古希腊人的节制观念被提炼为一个伦理概念。柏拉图起先认为道德上的明智就是节制,继而又把节制看作四种主要德性之一。以节制为核心概念的节欲学说在柏拉图对话中已经初步显现,但尚未形成系统的节欲理论。亚里士多德对以往相关学说做了扬弃,将节欲论纳入德性伦理体系,建构了系统的节欲理论。

Temperance is an important concept in ancient Greek ethics.With the method of tracing the origin of moral genesis,this paper reveals the origin and generation of abstinence idea in ancient Greece,and shows the theoretical construction process of abstinence.By searching the traces of the word abstinence in ancient Greek,we can see that the Greek people in Homer’s time had formed the abstinence idea initially,which is the thought source of abstinence.After the definition of the Sophists,Socrates and Plato,the abstinence concept was refined into an ethical concept.Plato first regarded moral wisdom as temperance,and then regarded temperance as one of the four principal virtues that embodied the virtues of the third class of producers who were governed by the need to moderate their desires and accept the rule of the first class of guardians.The abstinence theory with it as the core concept has already appeared in Plato’s dialogues,but because of the dialogue nature of Plato’s works and the uncertainty of Socrates’related arguments,the abstinence theory has not yet come into being in Plato’s thoughts.Aristotle sublates the previous related theories,constructs the systematic theory of abstinence,and incorporates the theory of abstinence into virtue ethics.