孔子责任伦理思想新诠

A New Interpretation of Confucius’s Responsibility Ethics

当前对于孔子责任伦理思想的研究虽然取得了较多的成果,但仍存在诸多问题。其中原因,一方面是拘泥于马克思·韦伯关于责任伦理的思想框架,一方面是因为对责任伦理概念的内涵还没有一个相对一致的看法。因此在研究中亟需转换思路,从孔子伦理思想本身出发,以责任为出发点和核心观念进行重新解释。孔子认为,责任来自人的忧患意识,来自人的仁爱本性,最终来自天的'生生之德'。所以人在履行责任的时候,不能背离仁的要求,而必须以仁为依归,要遵循忠恕之道,遵守礼的规范,还要能够通权达变。这样一种社会责任伦理思想传统,无论对儒家思想,还是对中国社会,都产生了重大的影响。

Although there have been lots of achievements in the study of Confucius’s responsibility ethics,many problems remain to be solved in that,on the one hand,these achievements are confined to Max Weber’s(1864-1920)theoretic frame of responsibility ethics;on the other hand,scholars have not arrived at a consensus about the connotations of the concept.Therefore,it is urgent for us to switch our train of thought and reinterpret this concept from its original meaning,thus treating responsibility as the starting point and core idea.From Confucius’s perspective,responsibility comes from one’s awareness of unexpected development,from one’s innate nature of benevolence,and finally from heavenly'virtue of ceaseless producing'.On this account,while one is performing his/her duty,he/she ought not to deviate from benevolence,and should be considerate of others,abide by ritual paradigms,and be adaptable to changing circumstances.These connotations of social responsibility exerted significant influence upon both Confucianism and Chinese society.