“德”“位”分合——孔孟复礼与华夏德性政制之奠定

华夏古典政制是德性政制,即道德与政制合一的制度,这种制度主要体现在周礼体系中。但到春秋时期,"位""德"分离,"德"失去了自身的根据,于是必须为"德"另寻根据。孔子将周礼之义概括为"敬",以敬区分礼仪与礼义,并在礼上加"仁",以"爱人"为"仁"。孔子既以仁德基于内在心性,于是相对于"位""德"合一来说,孔子的"位""德"仍然是分离的。孟子于礼下加让,以辞让之心为礼之端。孟子区分了现实世界中实有之位与依据每一人之德行所应有之位,前者孟子称之为"人爵",后者称之为"天爵"。理想的秩序是"人爵"应以"天爵"为依据。由此,孟子重新恢复了"位""德"合一,只是将原来的以"位"定"德"颠倒为以"德"定"位",从而将王朝政典建基于人心。孟子由此推导出新型的"德""位"合一的政治原则——仁政。汉代察举制即是本于孟子之学以"德"定"位"的政治制度,由此奠定了华夏二千年德性政制的基本格局。

Between Virtue and Statue: the Revival of Rites by Confucius and Mencius and the Foundation of Chinese Virtue Regime

Imperial China regime can be defined as virtue regime and the basic conflict is between aristocratic families and monarchs,which reflected in the rites of Zhou system.The author devotes to discuss the relationship between virtue and status,emphasizing the creative transformation of the rites of Zhou system by Confucius and Mencius when such system declined during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period.Confucius considered that there must be a principle of benevolence(仁) above rites.Thus,the name junzi(君子) means a man of complete virtue in stead of a title of a statue.However,Confucius did not solve the problem of the separation of virtue and its proper statue.Mencius overturned the previous order of status and virtue in the rites of Zhou system,emphasizing that virtue should decide statue.Therefore,Mencius set up a different paradigm and a new political principle of benevolence politics,and it was the foundation of the virtue regime of the two thousand years imperial period.