王夫之是如何解释不善之性的产生的——以《易传》“继善成性”为视角

How Did Wang Fu-zhi Account for the Rise of Evil Nature?——from the Point of“Following through Goodness to Perfect Human Nature” in the Yizhuan

王夫之的人性论是中国思想史上的奇葩,它以气一元论为基础,倡导"性相近论"或性可善可恶论,从而大胆承认有生来邪恶之人,进而从气化的角度解释恶是如何出现的。在王夫之看来,广义上说,恶源于阴阳变化中偶然因素;具体地讲,恶源于阴阳二气继善成性过程中的"善之蕃变"。既然天生有恶,那么是不是意味着善人和恶人就一成不变?为此。王夫之提出"性日生日成",认为人之形气与天地之气时刻处于交流之中,只要我们能够善于利用这个交流,我们就可以"变化气质",将先天的或后天的恶性改为善性。因此,王夫之的人性论一反孟子以后的宋明学者所坚持的恢复人之本然善性的方法,将善性之养成寄希望于后天的道德礼义之践行和变化气质。这种方法更倾向于荀子的"化性起伪",而不是孟子或宋明儒生的通过反思以发明本心或本性。

Wang Fuzhi's doctrine of human nature is unique in the history of Chinese thought.Based on qi-monism,it promotes Confucius' idea,"By nature men are alike.Through practice they have become far apart"(Analects 17.2),and implicitly endorses the idea that human nature can be either good or bad.He thus boldly admits that there are people with inborn evil,and tries to explain the rise of evil human nature.Generally speaking,he ascribes the appearance of evil nature to accidental deviation of yin-yanginteraction.Specially,he claims that it results from the"transformation of goodness"during the process by which heavenly principle is endowed to concrete forms or qi.In order to avoid the doctrine of static human nature,Wang further proposes the doctrine that"human nature renews itself along with daily heavenly endowment."He believes that the human body and the universe keep exchanging their qi incessantly,and that we will be able to transform our body and nature if we properly channel our qi through food,drink and behavior.Hence,Wang Fuzhi abandons the Neo-Confucian view that human nature is originally good and can be recovered by reflection,but resorts to reconstructing agood human nature through complying with Confucian ritual propriety and transforming one's bodily temperament.This shows hisindebtedness to Xunzi's"transforming people's nature and arousing them to goodness",and his rejection of Mencius' "nature being good originally".