论儒家对人格尊严的维护方式

On the Confucian Way of Maintaining Human Dignity

人格尊严是在人际关系中才具有实际意义的精神价值,其价值本质是一个人在面对现实中或想象中的他人时,所感受到的自己和他人的价值形象,主要表现为人格的荣辱和毁誉问题。维护人格的尊严就是维护自己和他人的价值形象,主要是捍卫自己和他人的荣耀感和社会声誉;其方式有伦理道德的维护方式和非伦理道德的维护方式,即在维护过程中是否还要遵守伦理道德的原理和原则。儒家始终是以伦理道德的方式维护自己的、他人的以及自己所在群体的人格尊严,主要表现为儒家的以直报怨、自反进德、恭敬辞让、人格教化的道德精神,以及汤武革命、《春秋》大义、天下、民本的思想主张,而伦理道德的维护方式同时也就是儒家获得伦理道德尊严的方式,这无疑是阐发儒家思想的一个重要角度。

Human dignity is a spiritual value that is practically significant only in interpersonal relationships.The essence of its value is the image one holds of himself/herself and of others when facing other people in reality or in imagination.Human dignity is mainly manifested as glory and reputation.To maintain dignity is to maintain the image of value and to defend the glory and social reputation of oneself and others.There are two ways to maintain dignity:ethics and non-ethics,the distinction of which lies in whether to abide by the principles of ethics.It is always in an ethical and moral way that Confucianists will adopt when maintaining the dignity of themselves,of others and of the group to which they belong.This maintaining is mainly embodied in Confucian morality and ideological ideas.The former includes repaying resentment with integrity,repaying kindness with kindness,respectful resignation,and personality cultivation;the latter includes the revolutionary spirit of Shang Tang and Zhou Wu,important moral and social ideas in Spring and Autumn,the thoughts of considering the world being one and being people-orientated.It is undoubtedly an important angle to interpret Confucianism in the light of the fact that the way Confucianists maintain ethics and morals is also the way for them to obtain ethical and moral dignity.