先秦时代的“君子”与“小人”

发布时间：2019-05-20 09:37

【摘要】： 先秦时期的“君子”、“小人”和我们现在理解的意义完全不同,这对概念经历了一个非常深刻的发展变化过程。通过对出土文献、传世文献的考察,我们发现春秋中期前,“君子”、“小人”一词,仅用作对两大人群身份的描述。“君子”即指统治者,包括天子、国君、大小贵族和各级官吏等。“小人”指被统治者——劳动阶层、庶民百姓。这是古代传统意义上的“君子”、“小人”的内涵。春秋中后期,君子、小人概念的传统涵义虽然还在使用,但出现了与传统概念本质不同的新内容:即君子概念开始承担道德与文化素质诉求。这个深刻的新因素呈现出顽强、鲜活的生命力。小人概念的变化保持了与君子概念的一致性。战国时期,《易传》明确而正式地提出了“君子之德”,不仅如此,君子概念内涵在本质意义上也获得了深刻地、跨越式发展。“君子”基本成为一种道德人格存在,与人的出身已经没有必然联系。相对于传统概念,此时“君子”已非彼时“君子”,完成了时代性的“托古改制”——借助旧形式表达了新的内容。君子概念的新含义向我们传递的是一种新的思潮和一种革新精神,即作为社会精英的“君子”应当由道德、才干突出的精神贵族构成,凭借个人素质获得社会优势地位,获得“君子”的称号和地位,而不再以出身论“君子”。特定的语言概念是特定思想的载体,战国时代的君子概念传递给我们的是那个时代的精神主题。语言概念的变化反映出新思想生成,反馈出当时社会的深层变化。 “君子”、“小人”从最初作为指代人们身份地位的概念,到春秋战国时代成为包含个人道德品格、才干的人格范畴,这个创造性的变化具有划时代意义。首先,历史由传统的贵族制时代向官僚制时代的演变推动了君子概念的演变;贵族时代的身份性“君子”,在时代的呼唤和要求下,发展成长为官僚制时代的德才兼备的新“君子”;所以,“君子”、“小人”概念的变化是历史时代变化的产物。其次,这对概念的变迁反映出先秦文化中第一次“人”的觉醒,人的作用、人的责任和人的力量被突出,人的精神价值得到尊重,拥有美好道德、才干的人受到尊重。另外,《论语》以“君子”人格为依托,提出了“有教无类”这一时代性光辉命题,主张每个人无论出身贵贱,都有受教育的权利,在原则上都有机会成长为新时代的“君子”,进入社会上层;以“有教无类”为开端的学术文化下移和普及,反馈出中国古代文化的平民化走向,对当时和后世影响深远。这也是“君子”、“小人”概念变迁透露出的另一大文化信息。
[Abstract]:The meaning of "gentleman" and "villain" in the pre-Qin period is completely different from the meaning we understand now, which has experienced a very profound process of development and change of the concept. Through the investigation of unearthed documents and handed down documents, we find that before the middle of Spring and Autumn period, the words "gentleman" and "villain" are only used to describe the identity of the two groups. "gentleman" refers to rulers, including the son of Heaven, monarchs, aristocrats and officials at all levels. "villain" refers to the ruler-the working class, the common people. This is the connotation of "gentleman" and "villain" in the traditional sense of ancient times. In the middle and late Spring and Autumn period, although the traditional meaning of the concept of gentleman and villain is still in use, there is a new content which is different from the essence of the traditional concept: the concept of gentleman begins to undertake the demand of moral and cultural quality. This profound new factor shows tenacious and fresh vitality. The change of the concept of villain maintains the consistency with the concept of gentleman. During the warring States period, Yi Zhuan clearly and formally put forward "the morality of the gentleman". Not only that, the connotation of the concept of the gentleman also achieved profound and leapfrog development in the essence. Gentleman has basically become a kind of moral personality, which is no longer necessarily related to the origin of human beings. Compared with the traditional concept, the "gentleman" is no longer the "gentleman" at that time, and completes the reform of the times-expressing the new content with the help of the old form. The new meaning of the concept of gentleman conveys to us a new trend of thought and an innovative spirit, that is, the "gentleman", as the social elite, should be composed of moral and talented spiritual aristocrats, and obtain the position of social superiority by virtue of their personal quality. Get the title and status of "gentleman", but no longer talk about "gentleman" by being a gentleman. The specific concept of language is the carrier of specific ideas, and the concept of gentleman in the warring States period conveys to us the spiritual theme of that era. The change of language concept reflects the generation of new ideas and feedback the deep changes of society at that time. From the concept of "gentleman" and "villain", which originally refers to the status of people, to the Spring and Autumn period and warring States period, it has become a personality category containing personal moral character and talent. This creative change is of epoch-making significance. First of all, the evolution of history from the traditional aristocratic era to the bureaucratic era promoted the evolution of the concept of gentleman. Under the call and requirement of the times, the identity "gentleman" of aristocratic times developed into a new "gentleman" with both virtue and talent in the era of bureaucracy. Therefore, the change of the concepts of "gentleman" and "villain" is the product of the change of historical times. Secondly, the change of concept reflects the awakening of the first "human" in the pre-Qin culture, the role of human beings, human responsibility and human strength, the respect of human spiritual value, and the respect of people with good morality and talents. In addition, the Analects of Confucius, based on the personality of the "gentleman", puts forward the brilliant proposition of "teaching without class", which holds that everyone, regardless of their origin, has the right to education. In principle, they all have the opportunity to grow into the "gentleman" of the new era and enter the upper echelons of society. The downward shift and popularization of academic culture, which begins with "teaching without class", feedback the civilian trend of ancient Chinese culture, which has a profound impact on the then and future generations. This is also "gentleman", "villain" concept change revealed another major cultural information.
【学位授予单位】：河南大学
【学位级别】：硕士
【学位授予年份】：2009
【分类号】：K221

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