王夫之的理欲思想及其现代价值

Human Nature and Desire in Wang Fuzhi′s Philosophy and Modern Values

天理与人欲的思想是我国传统伦理思想中的重要内容。王夫之批判并继承了前人的学术思想,提出了崭新的理欲观。其主要观点是理欲合一、理寓欲中和导欲于理。王夫之的理欲思想尖锐地批判了佛教、道教和宋明理学的禁欲主义,深刻地阐明了人的物质欲望的合理性,提出了导欲于理、以理制欲的主张。它具有重要的历史地位和现代价值。

Human nature and desire are two major issues being explored in Chinese ethical tradition. While criticizing parts of the predecessors′ biased ideas, Wang Fuzhi favorably adopted other modes of thinking. He proposed to integrate human nature and desire and insisted that the latter always being subsumed under the former. He defied sharply the suppression of sensual enjoyment embraced by Buddhists, Taoists, and Confucian scholars of idealist philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties. He asserted the necessity and rationality of material pursuit of human desire. What man needs to do is to rein in the desire about to run wild against rationality. He discussed the essence of human nature and its relevance to the development of character. His ideas and philosophy should be placed in the proper historical and modern perspective.