“原泉混混”与“盈科后进”——论儒家“以水比德”在《孟子》中的展开

“A Spring of Water Gushing out”and“Filling up Holes and then Advancing”:The Development of Confucianism’s“Comparing Virtue with Water”in Mencius

孟子继承和发扬了孔子开创的儒家“以水比德”的传统,在《孟子·离娄下》和《孟子·尽心上》两篇中,运用“原泉混混”和“盈科后进”两个相互连贯的水意象对其君子人格修养思想进行了阐发。“原泉混混”强调通过对自身固有德性的洞察和体认,培养君子人格的道德主体自觉意识;“盈科后进”强调通过学问之道培养君子人格的道德理性精神和道德实践能力。孟子认为,君子应当“立于本”并“志于道”,内德充盈而又不断为学进德,从而养成完善的君子理想人格。

Mencius inherited and carried forward the Confucian tradition of“comparing virtue with water”created by Confucius.Mencius used the two coherent water images,“a spring of water gushing out”and“filling up holes and then advancing”to elucidate his thoughts of superior man’s personality cultivation in the two articles Mencius Li Lou Xia and Mencius Jin Xin Shang.“A spring of water gushing out”emphasizes the cultivation of moral subject consciousness of superior man’s personality through the insight and recognition of his own inherent virtue.“Filling up holes and then advancing”emphasizes the cultivation of moral rational spirit and moral practical ability of superior man’s personality through the way of learning.Mencius believed that a superior man should“root in the basis”and“aim at the Dao”with abundant inner virtues and constantly striving to learn,in order to cultivate a perfect ideal personality for a superior man.