哲学对政治的论证 ——朱熹政治伦理思想论略

Abstract

Zhu Xi’s thinking about political ethics fuses realistic and spiritual value of Confucianism together. It justify the social structure, regime, social ethics, political ethics and personal ethics in metaphysics, while strengthening the transcendency of ethics and humanity. For the logical structure of his argument, Zhu Xi takes the metaphysics of Li as premise, the unity of Ti and Yong and One Li and its various images as principles of thinking, then they considers that real political institution and criterion embodies these theories and takes them as ontology, methodology and value hierarchy base. This argument contains six points interrelating with each other: Universal Li provides the metaphysical base for political ethics; One Li and its various images is the mechanism connecting Li and political ethics; Li’s logical priority relatives to Qi is the principle of the political ethics; Mind-heart governs Xing and emotion is the theoretical foundation for the humanity of political ethics; Investigation of things and extension of Innate Knowledge accounts the effort for cognition and practice; Self-conscious practice because of genuine knowledge describes the conscious pursuit for Li and political ideals. As product of the certain historic period, the emergence of Zhu Xi’s teaching about political ethics is necessary, and the theoretical value of it is justified. It is his intense concern for society and politics that shows the sense of responsibility and idealism of Confucianism.