中國儒學的典范轉移

Abstract

This paper mainly aims at using the concepts of “Rational Reconstruction” and “Paradigm Shift`` to analyze the developmental succession and deviation of Confucianism. On the one hand, the author thinks that the theoretical development from Confucius to Mencius and Xunzi is a rational reconstruction respectively. As a rational reconstruction, in addition to developing some new concepts，some key concept in an old theory will be developed and redefined in a new theory in a new way. In order to respond some challenge from a new situation, the new theory has to reconstruct or redefine the old concepts with some kind of sophistication and subtlety. Mencius`s mentalistic interpretation of Confucius` concept of “ren” is a good example of this kind of rational reconstruction. Based on the two uses of”wei” Xunzi develops a much sophisticated theory to supplement Confucius^ answer to the question of how morality is possible. On the other hand, the author claims that the development from Pre-Qin Confucianism to Song-Ming Confucianism is a revolutionary change. Although the Song-Ming Confucianists claim for their status as true successors of Confucius and Mencius, they do in reality establish a new paradigm and there is a real problem of “Incommensurability`` between the old theory and their new theories. The main reason is that there is a big gap between moral psychology and ontological cosmology; it is very difficult to combine them into one thing. Eventually, what the Song-Ming Confucianists develop would be a moral metaphysics without morality. The conclusion of this paper is that Mencius`s theory can be considered as a rational development of Confucius^ ideas，but there is a radical change from Pre-Qin Confucianism to Song-Ming Confucianism.