作为超越“物性”的“人性”——朱子“性”概念的两层分疏与“人禽之辨”抉隐

"Human Nature"as transcending"Animal Nature"——The Two Layers of Zhuzi's Concept of"Xing"and"Distinction Between Man and Animal"

“性”是朱子哲学思想中的一个核心概念。对朱子“性”概念的理解可作两层分疏,即“物性”和“人性”。就前者而言,又可以从广义和狭义两个方面来理解。从广义上说,此物性并不仅是指“物”(非人)的性,而是包含“人”在内的物性,亦即此物性是指“物”和“人”之性,人在一定程度上也可以说是“物”。就狭义上说,是指与物性相对的人性,是仅指人而言。然而,朱子虽言人或可泛言为物,不过,他更是要人超越物性而挺立人性,并从性善论的视角对人进行规定。此又关联着“人禽之辨”的问题。在朱子看来,虽然人物之性有相同之处,但人性更有不同于物性的地方。人需要超越同物之性而彰显人之为人的特性,以此来标举人不同于禽兽且贵于禽兽的方面,概言之,朱子之区分人性、物性其实是为了说明人和禽兽的同异,特别是“异”的问题。

"Xing"(Nature,性) is a central concept in Zhu Zi's philosophical thought.The understanding of Zhu Zi's concept of "xing"(性) can be divided into two levels,namely,"the nature of things"(物性) and"human nature"(人性).As far as the former is concerned,it can be understood in both a broad and a narrow sense.In the broader sense,the nature of things is not only refer to the nature of"things"(物)(not human beings),but also the nature of things that includes"human beings"(人),that is,the nature of things refers to the nature of both"things"(物) and"human beings"(人).In other words,this nature(性) refers to the nature of both"things"(物) and"persons"(人),and persons can be said to be"things"(物) to a certain extent.In a narrower sense,it refers to the human nature as opposed to the nature of things,which refers only to human beings.However,although Zhu Zi says that human beings(人) can be broadly described as thing(物).He points out that a man needs to transcend his/her own creature nature(超越物性),so as to highlight human nature(人之本性),and to define human beings from the perspective of the theory of the goodness of nature(性善论).This is related to the question of the"the Distinction Between Humans and Animals"(人禽之辨).In Zhu Zi's view,although there are similarities in human nature(人性) and nature of things(物性),human nature(人性) is even more different from the nature of things(物性).Human beings(人) need to go beyond the creature nature(物性)and show the characteristics of human beings as human beings(人之为人),so as to mark the aspects of human beings that are different from and more valuable than the animals.In a word,zhuzi says the distinction between human nature(人性) and nature of things(物性) is actually to illustrate the similarities and differences between human beings and animals(人禽同异),especially the problem of "differences".