论孟子恻隐说的深度悖论

On an In-depth Paradox of Mencius'Theory of Commiseration

孟子把“恻隐之心”视为“仁之端”,试图在君子心性中为仁爱理想奠定一个具有普遍性的坚实起点。但依据儒家的血缘亲情精神,尤其是依据孟子在批判墨家时提出的“一本”原则和“爱有差等”原则,他的“侧隐”说不仅会像夷子的“爱无差等,施由亲始”说那样变成违反天理的“二本”,而且会像墨子的“兼爱”说那样沦为“无父”的“禽兽”,从而陷入深度悖论。

Mencius regards the heart of commiseration as the beginning of humaneness, so as to set up a universal foundation for the Confucian ideal of humane love in the human heart-nature. In the light of the fundamental spirit of Confucianism, especially in the light of the principles of one root and love with distinctions advocated by Mencius himself in his criticisms on Moist school, however, his theory of commiseration will fall into an in-depth paradox within the Confucian framework, with the result that the ideal of humane love is always rootless in Confucian theory.