《孟子》首章中"王何必曰利"的表述,在后世围绕"义利之辨"的儒家经学阐释以及当下学界的相关讨论中一直处于核心地位.过往研究多聚焦探讨与阐发孟子之"利"的具体指涉,这可能是受限于宋明儒家之后一直流行未蔽的孟子被"圣化"之风.然而,当我们将孟子的辟利之举置于先秦普遍义利互训的关系,即孟子所处的诸子论辩语境之中进行考察,孟墨二者的仁义观在"利他"性上呈现了较大的差异.以此重新审视《孟子》中的诸多记载,及孟子"何必曰利"的仁义之道,我们发现孟子不仅在思想层面排除"利"的负面内涵,也无可避免地将"利"的正面指涉——包括合理正当的"利他"动机,一并与"仁义"相隔离.此举让孟子之仁义既难达到"形而上"之利他的哲学高度,也使其"形而下"的施行范围受限于战国征战环境,受制于伦理纲常,无奈于国家强弱和大小,甚至在那些更为在乎如何权衡"利"的战国学者们眼中,成为诸侯王、谋士们借"仁义"之名来遮盖其"自利"之实的工具.
In the first chapter of Mengzi,the expression"Why must your Majesty speak of'Li'?"has remained central in the classical interpretation of the relationship between"Yi"(righteousness)and"Li"(benefit)among early Confucians and later researchers.The previous studies focus too much on the specific references to"Li",which might have been influenced by the prevalence of"sanctifying"Mengzi since the Song and Ming dynasties.However,if we put Mengzi's opposition against"Li"in the interpretative interpretation between"Yi"and"Li"in a general context(a sharing context among various masters)in the pre-Qin period,we can see that Mengzi and Mozi have quite distinct thoughts on"Ren-Yi". A re-examination of records in Mengzi and his concept of"Ren-Yi"leads to the conclusion that Mengzi is apart from the universal relationship between"Ren and Yi"in the pre-Qin period:for instance,the absence of expression of"benefiting the world"in the text,the choice-making between"fish and bear's paw"based on"making profits"rather than"weighing the detriments",and the interpretation of"offering sheep instead of cattle to sacrifice".It seems that Mengzi not only excludes the negative connotation of"Li"from the ideological level,but also inevitably isolates the positive reference to"Li",including the reasonable and legitimate motivation of"altruism",from"Ren-Yi".As a result,Mengzi's thoughts on"Ren-Yi"do not match altruism metaphysically,and mundanely makes its implementation limited by the wars in the Warring States,the ethical mode of"kin as kin and king as king",and the strength and size of the country.Even worse,according to other philosophers who are more concerned about"Li",such as Xunzi,Zhuangzi and Han Fei,Mengzi's thoughts are utilized by kings and counselors who disguise their"selfish behavior"under the name of"Ren-Yi". Furthermore,later scholars'interpretation of Mengzi's thoughts blocks the flow,sharing and even interactive mechanism of pre-Qin thoughts to some extent.Therefore,the further development of altruism,"not killing one man to benefit the world,but giving one's own life to save the world"in later Mohism,is blocked by Mengzi's deliberate"opposition against Yang Zhu and Mozi"in the prejudice from the Chinese classical studies over thousands of years.This paper attempts to explore new ideas,hoping to express that the history of Chinese traditional Confucian classics should not be regarded as the whole history of Chinese traditional thoughts.There is no need to regard the thoughts of Confucius and Mengzi as absolute standards when studying the thoughts of Confucianism and other masters in the pre-Qin period.It not only goes against the exposition of Confucian thoughts in the new era,but also negates the diversity of the origin of various schools of thoughts in the pre-Qin period.