“克己复礼为仁”:孔子的道德传播思想考察

“Restrain Oneself to Rite as Benevolence”:An Investigation of Confucius'Moral Communication Thought

孔子提出“克己复礼为仁”的道德传播命题,主张在人与人交往的过程中,将内在于人的“仁”激发为切实可感的道德共情,使人自觉认同和服从作为道德规范的“礼”。孔子认为,作为人的自然生命与伦理生命承载物的身体是沟通“仁”与“礼”的媒介,身体一直以“隐身”的方式参与着接受主体的人格塑造,它的媒介功能不仅是工具性的,也是存在性的。通过“礼”的仪式化传播,可以将身体的姿势、行为象征化为“仁”的意义表达,从而激活接受主体内心的道德意识,形成对道德规范的自觉。名分是沟通“礼”与“仁”的符号中介,通过“正名”重建名分与“仁”的指谓关系,使“礼”能有效约束个体行为,这是重建礼乐制度和政治、社会秩序的重要问题。

Confucius put forward the moral communication proposition of“Restrain oneself to Rite as Benevolence”,and advocated that in the process of interpersonal communication,the inner“Benevolence”should be stimulated into practical and tangible moral empathy,so that people can have self-identification and conscious obedience to the moral norms of“Rite”.Confucius believed that the body,as the carrier of human natural life and ethical life,is the medium of communicating“Benevolence”and“Rite”.The body has always been involved in the personality shaping of the receiving subject in the way of“stealth”,and its media function is not only instrumental,but also existential.Through the ritualized communication of“Rite”,the posture and behavior of the body can be symbolized into the meaning of“Benevolence”,so as to activate the moral consciousness of the accepting subject and form the consciousness of moral norms.Nomenclature is the symbol intermediary of communicating“Rite”and“Benevolence”.Through“Correct Name”to reconstruct the relationship between Nomenclature and“Benevolence”,so that“Rite”can effectively restrain individual behavior.This is the primary problem of reconstructing the Rite system and political and social order.