“仁义其非人情哉”探微

A Discussion of “Authoritative Conduct and Appropriateness Are Not Natural State of Human Being”

先秦人性论史上,孟子的道德性善论与告子、庄子所代表的自然人性论构成了对比。性善论以仁义为其具体内容。仁义是否出于人之自然,这是两派争论的关键之处。列于《庄子》外篇之首的《骈拇》被称作为一篇道家的人性论。《骈拇》篇提出“仁义其非人情”,按照众多注家的解释,其含义是指仁义并非出于人的性命之情。然而,仔细研究郭象《庄子注》,可以看出,“仁义自是人情”之说发掘了本篇文本的潜在之意。一方面,仁义作为“性分”内在地成为一部分人的自然,另一方面,由于人们矜仁尚义,弃情逐迹,从而失去了自身的常然和素分,使得仁义成为挠天下之具。

In the history of the theory of human nature in the pre-Qin period, Mencius’ theory of original goodness of human nature contrasted with the theory of natural human nature represented by Gaozi and Zhuangzi. The theory of goodness of nature takes authoritative conduct and appro-priateness as its specific content. Whether authoritative conduct and appropriateness are inhe-rent in human nature is the key point of debate between the two groups. Pianmu, which is listed at the top of the outer part of Zhuangzi, is regarded as a Taoist treatise on human nature. “Pianmu” puts forward that “authoritative conduct and appropriateness are not human nature”, which, according to the interpretation of many commentators, means that authoritative conduct and appropriateness are not out of people’s original nature. However, a careful study of Guoxiang’s notes to Zhuangzi shows that this sentence can be understood as “authoritative conduct and appropriateness are natural human nature”, which has explored the potential meaning of this text. On the one hand, authoritative conduct and appropriateness, as an “original truth” of certain persons, internally become some persons’ nature. On the other hand, because people chase the superficial forms of authoritative conduct and appropriateness too much, they abandon their original nature which truly belongs to themselves, thus losing their innocence, which makes authoritative conduct and appropriateness become a tool to disturb the world.