在泰山與鴻毛之間——倫家存生取死的價值觀

Between Mount Tai and Swan's Down - Confucian Values on Life and Death

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.

古代中國人對自殺的道德評價，與古代西方人很不同。古代的西方社會（啟蒙時期前的歐洲）大部分對自殺的道德討論，都是關於為己性的自殺，並且大都對這種自殺作一負面的評價。古代（民國以前）的中國社會，也同意為己性的自殺在道德上而言大都是錯誤的。然而，與古代西方社會不同，很少人對為己性自殺的個人權利作出辯護。古代中國人雖然也有對某些特殊的為己性自殺作出討論（例如討論為保持尊嚴而自殺），但大部分道德土的爭論，都是集中於在古代相當普遍的為他性自殺。古代中國人並不認為為他性自殺是犯了道德上的錯誤，所以不需要為這個行動辯護。相反，在某些情況下如不肯自殺，才需要為不自殺而辯護，解釋為何在這情況下竟然不自殺。本文會分析儒家倫理對中國人自殺觀的影響， 並且把這些觀點陳述為六個論題。華者認為這六個論題，已充分地把儒家傳統對自殺倫理的多元思考陳述出來。

This paper is a project in descriptive applied Chinese ethics, in which I attempt to analyze ethically the Confucian moral views on suicide in ancient China. As in Europe, there is a long history of moral debate on the moral status of suicide, and the long debate on the suicide of Qu Yuand and on Guan Zhong's refusal to commit suicide are obvious examples. Three pairs of theses and antitheses are formulated to represent Confucian moral rules and arguments for and against suicide, and they are as follow.

Thesis I: One should give up one's own life, if necessary, actively as well as passively, for the sake of upholding the cardinal moral values of ren and yi.
Antithesis I: One should broaden the scope of one's commitment; instead of dying for a limited cause, one should live and die for an object of a higher order.
Thesis II: One should actively terminate one's life for the sake of avoiding humiliation, i.e., for the sake of upholding one's dignity.
Antithesis II: When there is no threat to one's life, and when the calling in life is clear, one should live on to fulfill one's vocation in spite of personal tragedy and undignified treatments.
Thesis lll : Filial piety reinforces, rather than overrides, Thesis I; it requires us to commit suicide that is obligated by ren and yi.
Antithesis lll: Filial piety requires us to take care of our parents, to preserve our life, and to procreate abundantly; hence it forbids suicide.

I submit that in other-regarding suicides, the predominant Confucian position is in its favour. Thesis I receives very strong backing in the Confucian traditions, and Antithesis I rises to prominence for only a very limited time. Though some Confucian scholars attempt to use Antithesis III to override Thesis I, it is met with opposition from Thesis III. In self-regarding suicides, in most cases (death as a solution to one's problems in life) the predominant Confucian position is against it, and Antithesis lll is the usual justification given. In one particular kind of self-regarding suicide, viz., to terminate life to avoid humiliation or to uphold one's dignity, the Confucian position, however, is strongly in its favour with Thesis II as its justification. Antithesis II receives only very limited support. (Classical Confucian endorsement of suicide for the sake of ren and yi s till exerts its influence on the moral thinking of twentieth century Chinese intellectuals, especially during the dawn of Republican China and during the "Cultural Revolution.")

Accordingly, though there is diversity among traditional Confucian moral perspectives, a sharp contrast between the pre-modern western views on suicide (with the exception of Stoic Rome) and the Confucian perspectives on suicide is still discernable. A predominantly negative moral judgement on suicide was characteristic of pre-modem Western ethics. To approve of suicide morally had the burden of apology. The major moral issue was, accordingly, "Is it morally permissible to commit suicide, especially suicide for one's own sake?" From ancient Confucian perspectives however, suicide for the sake of ren and yi was never deemed wrong and needed no apology; those who thought otherwise, however, had the burden of proof. The major moral issue was, accordingly, "Is it morally permissible not to commit suicide for the sake of ren and yi?"

Though this paper deals with mainly Confucian ethics, inter-school debates (between Daoism and Confucianism) are noted as well as inter-school debates (between different strands of Confucianism) are fully noted.

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