“生之谓性”与“天命之谓性”——程明道“性”论研究

Inborn Nature" and "Heaven-endowed Nature"——On Cheng Ming-dao's Study of "Nature

在北宋诸儒中 ,程颢“性”的学说极富有特色 ,它不仅深深地影响了朱子 ,而且本身就是湖湘学统的源头所在 ,形成宋明道学中颇具特色的一大传统。程颢在论性时 ,虽然借用告子“生之谓性”的说法 ,但实质上是将《中庸》之本然的“天命之性”涵摄“生之谓性”并赋予了它全新的意义。在此基础上 ,程颢提出“性即气、气即性”这一命题 ,指出本然之性代表着一种性气未曾分离的更为原初的关系 ,进而他认为这种本然之性超越善恶 ,作为价值判断之善恶乃从本然之性中派生出来 ,非性之本身 ,从而为其工夫理论确立了本体的基础。

Among the Northern Song Confucianists, the argument of nature (Xing) of Cheng Hao was very distinguished. It had not only deeply influenced Zhu Xi, but also was the source of the school of Huxiang. It formed a very important tradition in Song-Ming Confucianism. When Cheng Hao discussed nature, although he borrowed Gao Zi's idea of 'what is inborn is called nature', in fact, he took the original Heaven-endowed nature of Zong Yong to cover 'inborn nature', and endowed it with a total new meaning. Based on this argument, Cheng Hao put forward the idea of 'Nature is the same as material force and material force is the same as nature'. He thought that the original nature represented the relationship of nature and material force before their separation. Moreover, Cheng Hao further thought that this original nature surmounted Good and Evil, and Good and Evil were from the original nature, not nature itself. Therefore, Cheng Hao established the basis for his theory of 'Gongfu'.