孔子“祖述堯舜”探微

An Examination of Confucius “Transmitting the Ancient Traditions of Yao and Shun”

Abstract

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

孔子既“憲章文武”，也“祖述堯舜”。“憲章文武”就是因革損益周之禮樂制度以重建秩序，是孔子一生孜孜不倦的志業。“祖述堯舜”則是繼承堯舜相傳的“中”道，是孔子在“知天命”以後思想上發生的升華。“中”道貫穿於經傳，堯傳舜，舜傳禹，禹傳成湯，成湯傳文武，文武傳孔子，“中”道一以貫之於孔子的全部思想。這個源遠流長的傳承譜系，構成了象徵華夏文明綿延不息、一脈相承的“道統”，代表著華夏民族的歷史認同。孔子晚年編撰《尚書》、《春秋》，分别於形式和内容上體現了他承接“道統”的文化自覺。

Confucius not only “modeled upon Kings Wen and Wu of the Zhou” but also “transmitted the ancient traditions of Yao and Shun.” His motive behind the former was to rebuild social norms by selectively inheriting the systems of Rites and Music of the Zhou. This was Confucius’ life-long devotion and aspiration. Through “transmitting the ancient traditions of Yao and Shun,” he aimed to continue the way of the “mean.” This was a sublimation of his thought, which took place after his age of “understanding heaven’s mandate” (i.e., fifty years of age). The way of the “mean” is a central theme that goes through the classics and their respective commentaries. Yao transmitted it to Shun, Shun to Yu, Yu to Chengtang, and Chengtang to Kings Wen and Wu, who passed it down to Confucius. The way of the “mean” links up the entirety of Confucius’ thought. This long, enduring genealogy forms the “tradition of the Way,” which symbolizes the continuous Chinese civilization that was derived from one common source. It represents Chinese national historical identification. In his old age, Confucius compiled and wrote the Book of Documents and Annals of the Spring and Autumn Period. The format and content of these works reveals his cultural consciousness of inheriting the “tradition of the Way.”