맹자윤리학에서 도덕적 가치갈등의 해결

Abstract

To Mencius, a specific individual benevolence (ren) is the highest level of moral criterion as well as the ultimate virtue of all humans (quande). The ethical theory of benevolence advocated by Mencius is systemized in the orderly process of realizing morality by identifying (zhi) moral issues based on the virtue of benevolence, establishing virtue items or reasonable standards (yi) depending on the duties and relationships, and enacting specific rules for decorum (li) based on the virtue items and standards. However, the moral condition in reality makes it difficult to put the philosophy of benevolence into practice. Benevolence as the ultimate virtue involves having compassion on life and loving others. The standards and the decorum regulate the righteous criteria and codes of conduct for the distribution of the love resulting from benevolence. Although Mencius formalized human relationships into five categories, calling for five disciplines (wulun). the society lacking face-to-face contact requires more than the five disciplines to regulate all types of human relationships. And even within the five types of relationships, value conflicts may rise regarding the criteria for distributing the benevolent love. Accordingly, another criterion is needed for the resolution of value conflicts. As the ‘another’ criteria, Mencius presented the principle of being related to the family and relatives (qin qin), which had been originally advocated by Confucius. It in short refers to the affection for the kindred. From this affection, the subject of love would be extended gradually to the relatives, the neighbors, the society, the nation, and the world in order. However, the principle of the kinship-based affection is highly likely to enclose one’s relationships with the boundary of blood ties and the interests of his or her own family and relatives. With concerns on this possibility, Mencius highlighted the efforts based on reason and the Way (dao) to the Doctrine of the Mean (zhongyong), which together enable people to keep balance between the individuals and the community as well as tension and harmony they can create. When within a kin-group including a family, people are advised to cherish emotional ties rather than strict rationality. The opposite applies to an interest-based society that lacks face-to-face sociability. In this society, fair distribution and rigid rationality are the direct way to the realization of benevolence. The Warring States period that Mencius lived through was in special need of the very rationality. Here lies the reason why Mencius laid the foundation for the philosophy of benevolence and righteousness (representing yi) by putting a relatively bigger importance on the latter.