中国恩德文化历史演变的基本趋势

Basic Trends in the Historical Evolution of the Chinese Culture of Benevolence and Virtue

中国文化是恩德文化,就是以施恩—报恩责任规定人际关系和天人关系的文化。春秋战国时期是后宗法皇权士绅社会形成的早期阶段,也是恩德文化的发生、建构阶段。在这个阶段,宗法封建贵族社会向后宗法皇权士绅社会转化,君主、士阶层与家族三种势力的关系,还处于一种动态平衡状态,君主的主导性还不突出,士有相对独立性,家族也有相对独立性,而君主要依靠士阶层,国家也要依靠家族,因此恩德文化的建构就强调施恩与报恩的平衡、爱与控制的平衡,以及私恩与公义的平衡等。汉、魏晋、南北朝、隋、唐、五代是传统社会的中期阶段,也是恩德文化的确立、稳固阶段。这个阶段的君主、家族、士之间基本处于动态平衡状态,而在这个基础上形成的恩德文化也相对稳固,施恩方对报恩方的控制虽然有所增强,但也受到了限制;同时私恩与公义的矛盾已经显现,但没有发生明显对抗。宋、元、明、清是后期的后宗法皇权士绅社会,其恩德文化的平衡被打破,施恩与报恩关系偏向报恩责任,控制性得到强化。此时的恩德文化也发生了私恩与公义的冲突,私恩被限制,公义压倒了私恩,从而在公私关系、义利关系、理欲关系和家国关系中向公、义、理和国倾斜。

Chinese culture is a culture of benevolence and virtue,which is to prescribe interpersonal relation and the relation between heaven and man by the duty of giving and repaying favors.The Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods were the early stages of the post-patriarchal imperial gentry society,in which culture of benevolence and virtue emerged and developed.At this stage,the patriarchal feudal aristocratic society was transformed into the post-patriarchal imperial gentry society with a state of dynamic equilibrium among the monarch,the gentry class and the family.The dominance of the monarch was not yet prominent,the gentry class had relative independence,and the family was relatively independent,while the monarch had to rely on the gentry class and the state had to rely on the family.Therefore,the construction of the culture of benevolence and virtue emphasized the balance between giving and repaying favors,love and controlling,and personal favors and public justice.The Han,Wei,Jin,Northern and Southern Dynasties,Sui,Tang,and Five Dynasties were the middle stages of traditional society,during which the culture of benevolence and virtue was further established and solidified.The dynamic balance between the monarch,the family,and the gentry at this stage tended to be more stable,reflecting a more defined culture of benevolence and virtue formed on this basis.While the control of the giver to the receiver was strengthened,it was still limited;meanwhile,the tension between personal favors and public justice had already been revealed,but did not lead to obvious confrontation.The Song,Yuan,Ming,and Qing dynasties were the late post-patriarchal imperial gentry societies.During this period,the balance in the culture of benevolence and virtue was broke,the relationship between giving and repaying stressed the responsibility of repaying,and the control was strengthened.The culture of benevolence and virtue in this period also witnessed a conflict between personal favors and public justice,where personal favors was restricted and public justice overpowered personal favors.The relationship between public and private,justice and benevolence,rationality and desire,and the family and the state increasingly emphasized public,justice,rationality and the state.