《儒行》篇:戴仁而行,抱义而处——孔子为儒者赋予价值规定的经学文本解读

The Book Ru Xing : Behaviors Under Kindness and Righteousness— The Interpretation of the Classics in which Confucius Granted Value Prescriptions for Confucianists

在早期儒者转型的时点上,孔子致力于“君子儒”的建构,有意把儒者群体带出“小人儒”的困境。《儒行》篇是孔子第一次自觉而系统地为整个阶层的职业行为制定标准,率先为儒者立范立则,赋予仁义价值规定。“待聘”“待问”“待举”“待取”意味着早期儒者群体已经做好心理和行动的积极准备,耐心等候进用。儒者执持操行,面对货财乐好之利却不亏损道义。有道义充塞于心,具有强大的意志力和自制力,儒者无所畏惧,勇往直前,即便献出生命也在所不惜。儒者为道义而生,为道义而死。“往者不悔,来者不豫”则强调儒者须有抓住当下、直击本体的能力和品格。以忠信为甲胄,以礼义为干橹,戴仁而行,抱义而处,则是早期儒者队伍自觉告别“小人儒”的庄重宣言,足见风骨气节。“不临深而为高”则要求儒者不与世沉浮而建构独立的精神人格。

At the time point of the transformation of the early Confucians,Confucius was devoted to the construction of“noble character”(君子儒)and intentionally led the Confucians out of the difficulty of“base person”(小人儒).In the book of Ru Xing(儒行)Confucius prescribed standards for the whole stratum’s professional conducts spontaneously and systematically for the first time,setting regulations and rules for Confucians and granting the value prescription for the kindness and righteousness.“Waiting to be employed,to be greeted,to be recommended,and to be admitted”meant that Confucian group made psychological and behavioral preparations and waited to be chosen with much patience.Facing goods and wealth,Confucians would not lose kindness and righteousness for their sticking to principle.Confucians were fearless and courageous,even at the cost of sacrificing their life when they were filled with morality and justice,with strong willpower and self-discipline.Confucians lived and died for moral principles.“Not regretting the past and not hesitating the future”emphasized that Confucians should possess the ability and character of seizing the present and facing the ontology.The early Confucians took faithfulness(忠信)as their harness,and rites and morality(礼义)as their tools,their behaviors were always under kindness and justice(仁义),displaying their solemn declaration of bidding farewell to“base person group”and their noble character and integrity.“Not boasting one’s achievements”required that the Confucians should establish their independent spirit personality without following the ups and downs of the world.