孟子"义"德思想析论

义是儒家道德的"五常"之一。孟子思想非常重视义,把义提升到与仁对等的地位,认为义是人心固有的善端,它和"仁、礼、智"一道构成了人区别于动物的道德性,是人们提高德性、成就道德理想人格的逻辑起点。在人生的历程中,义始终是人们的价值向导,义要求人们不贪利,不畏势,不媚俗,做一个有道德自觉心、有尊严、有主体独立精神的人,而不是做一个被欲望所左右、被权势所奴役的人。孟子还要求人们集义而养成浩然之气,做一个顶天立地的大丈夫,完成道德人格的塑造。当生命与道义发生冲突、要进行生义抉择的时候,孟子反对苟且偷生,主张慷慨就义,以生命最终完成自己的高尚道德人格。这是义的最高境界。所以说,义在孟子思想中,在心为德,施之为行,行之有道。

An Analysis of Mencius "Righteousness" Morals Thought

Righteousness is one of five cardinal virtues of Confucian ethics.Mencius thought attaches great importance to righteousness so as to puts it in parallel with benevolence.Mencius believed that righteousness is an innate nature and it,together with benevolence,propriety and wisdom,constitutes morality,a demarcation line between a human and an animal and it is the logical starting point of improving moral integrity and accomplishing ideal moral personality.In the process of human life,righteousness is always the value guidance.Righteousness requires that a man should not seek gains,dread unjust power and fish for cheap popularity so as to become a true man having conscientious heart with moral integrity,dignity and spirit of independence rather than a man controlled by desire or enslaved by power and influence.Mencius also demanded that a man should gather righteousness to form a noble spirit so as to be a real man upstanding and dauntless,who accomplishes morality personality molding.When life and the moral principle conflict and choice should be made between them two,Mencius opposed dragging on an ignoble existence and advocated choosing death for accomplishing his ultimate value of life and according to Mencius,this is the highest spiritual ethos.In sum,righteousness,in Mencius thought,means that morality in the heart is exercised by an action which is guided by some principles.