"克己复礼"的百年误读与思想真谛

孔子"克已复礼为仁"的名言,在中国近代思想史上被深深的误解。人们多是把它归入政治学的范畴,认为孔子此语表 明了他恢复周礼的历史态度;而实际上孔子的"克己复礼"是道德践履问题,是伦理学范畴的一个命题。"复"不是恢复或返回, 而应当解释为"实践"或"履行"。"克己复礼"即是克制自己的欲望,践履礼的规范。从孔子的整个思想体系看,他根本不是周礼 的维护者,而是周礼的颠覆者和叛逆者。他所提倡的"礼",已远远超越了周礼的藩篱,是在为一个新的历史时代奠基行为的规 范。

Misinterpretation for a century and a new interpretation of "self- discipline fulfils the rites"

Confucius said , "To discipline self to fulfil the rites is benevolence". This famous saying had been misunderstood deeply in the recent history of thought. People often categorize it in politics and think that this saying of Confucius indicates his historical attitude to restore Zhou Li. Actually , to discipline self to fulfil the rites is just a moral problem and it belongs to the ethical category. "fu" should not be undestood as restoration or returning, but as "practice"or "fulfillment". "To discipline self to fulfil the rites" is to subdue one's self to fulfil the rites. From Confucius' whole ideological system, we can see that he is not a guardian of Zhou Li, but the subversive and rebel. The rites Confucius advocated had already surmounted the rules of Zhou Li greatly , and it laid a foundation of the norm for a new era .