君子文化是中國傳統文化的主體性代表。君子觀作爲儒家文化的核心, 吸收借鑒道教、佛教的合理內核, 形成了富有特色的君子文化, 最終成爲中國理想人格的代表。自商周以來, “君子”觀念不斷深化發展, 形成了一套理論系統。商周時期在君子觀的形成過程中具有重要的地位, 因爲君子觀的萌芽就發生在該時期。通過對“君子”一詞在造字之初的原始意涵的考察, 可以看出“君子”逐漸從專指身份的概念到取得道德品質的內涵是一個長期演變的過程。從字義來看, 早期“君”作爲大小宗族長的一般尊稱, “子”兼具“子嗣”與“宗子”兩重含義, 而這兩重含義之間關聯緊密。隨著殷周之際人文精神的躍動, “君子”的概念逐漸與抽象的“德性”發生關聯, 進而推動了“君子”涵義由“位”而“德”的轉變。 從商周時期的代表性典籍≪尚書≫≪詩經≫和≪論語≫中出現的“君子”概念概念的整理也可以看出, 商周時期“君子”的意涵有著明顯的由“位”至“德”的演進線索:“君子”最開始只是代表純粹的“職位”君子, 上至天子諸侯, 下至公卿大夫, 只要是貴族統治階層, 均可以用“君子”來表述。到了≪詩經≫的創作年代, “君子”一詞已經加進了道德的意涵, 從最開始的“職位”君子分化出了“德位”君子。從≪尚書≫到≪詩經≫, “君子”一詞的統治意味不斷削弱, 而道德意味不斷增強, 延至於孔子時代, “君子”語義終於發展出了純粹的“德行”君子, 不論其身份地位之高低貴賤, 都可以稱之爲真正的“君子”。
‘Gentleman(君子)’ is a representative title that refers to the class as the leader of Chinese traditional culture and leader of ancient Chinese society. As the core of the culture of the Confucianism, Gentleman (君子) absorbed the core ideas of Tao and Buddism and formed Chinese culture of characteristic, became an ideal person of ancient China. Since the Shang(商) and Zhou(周) dynasties, The concept of ‘Gentleman (君子)’ has deepened and developed, forming a theoretical system. The Shang and Zhou dynasties played an important role in the formation of the philosophy, because it took place at that time. From the examination of the original meaning of the word ‘Gentleman(君子)’ at the beginning of its creation, it can be seen that ‘Gentleman(君子)’ gradually evolved from the concept of specific status to the meaning of ethical quality. In the sense of the word, ‘君’ was the common name for the heads of clans, both large and small, and ‘子’ had the dual meanings of ‘son’ and ‘successer’. With the movement of the humanistic spirit in the time of Shang and Zhou, the concept of ‘Gentleman(君子)’ gradually became related to the abstract ‘virtue’, and further promoted the transformation of the meaning of ‘Gentleman(君子)’ from ‘position’ to ‘virtue’. It can be seen from the collation of the concept of ‘Gentleman(君子)’ in 『尚書』, 『周易』 and 『詩經』, which are representative books of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, that the meaning of ‘Gentleman(君子)’ has a clear clue to the evolution of ‘nature’. ‘Gentleman(君子)’ originally represented only the pure ‘rank’ gentleman, from heaven to princes and ministers to the aristocracy, and could be described as ‘gentlemen’ in any form of aristocratic rule. By the time of the creation of the 『Book of Songs(詩經)』, the word ‘Gentleman(君子)’ had been added to the meaning of virtue, and Gentleman(君子) was divided into Gentleman(君子) from the very beginning.