早期儒家與人類中心主義環境哲學的對話

A Dialogue between Ancient Confucianism and Western Anthropocentrism on Environmental Philosophy

莊慶信

《哲學與文化》 25卷9期 (1998/09) Pp. 836-855

https://doi.org/10.7065/MRPC.199809.0836

摘要

早期儒家包含孔子、孟子、荀子、《易傳》、《中庸》的思想中有「人為貴」、人為自然宇宙中心的環境思想，宣稱人類比無生物、植物、禽獸高貴的理論，儒家思想成為日後中國哲學的主流。而當代西方人類中心主義環境哲學是當今環境思潮的主流，普遍為世界大部分政府所採行，以促進經濟發展，此主義以强烈和微弱兩種型態出現。由於此中西兩種思想十分類似，本研究將考查兩者之間到底有何異同？彼此能否透過對話而更為成長？為現代中國人什麼樣的環境哲學比較合適？
本研究的結果顯示，早期儒家的環境倫理、環境倫理基礎、環境素養與西方的人類中心主義環境哲學或多或少均有共同因素。但其中兩者的差距正是彼此學習，一起成長的機會。為國人而言仍以儒家的環境哲學（如，仁、天人合德等）比較合適，但儒家思想有其限度，需要學習西方人類中心主義（如，價値陶成等），甚至仍須融合西方的生命中心及整體主義，以及道家、佛教、宋明新儒家的環境思想精華而成為一新而平衡的環境哲學。若然，早期儒家環境哲學未來的現代化就不再只是夢想。

關鍵字

人類中心主義 ； 環境哲學 ； 早期儒家 ； 環境倫理 ； 倫理原則 ； 仁 ； 天人合德 ； 價值陶成

並列摘要

Ancient Confucians, including Confucious, Mencius, Xun Zi, The I-Ching Commentaries, and the Doctrine of the Mean all maintain an anthropocentric environmental philosophy. They all assumed humans held a higher position than other living things. Confucianism, as is well known, became the dominant Chinese philosophy.
Today most governments have adapted an anthropocentric environmental philosophy to secure economic development. These philosophies are divided into ”Strong Anthropocentrism” and ”Weak Anthropocentrism”. Due to the fact that Confucianism and Anthropocentrism share certain tendencies, this article deals with the differences and similarities between the two philosophies. It also deals with whether or not the philosophies would be able to grow through dialogue, and what kind of environmental philosophy is most suited for modern China.
Results of my study show that environmental ethics, its foundations, and the environmental spirituality of ancient Confucianism share certain common elements. The discrepancies between the two ecological philosophies are a good chance to learn and grow as well. It is the paper's contention that Confucian environmental philosophy is more suited that western anthropocentrism for China's needs because Confucianism elaborates on environmental philosophy has limits, however, and needs to learn something from western anthropocentrism. Confucian environmental philosophy could synthesize the best of ecological philosophy from western biocentrism and holism, as well as Daoism, Buddhism and NeoConfucianism. In doing so, ancient Confucianism could become a more balanced environmental philosophy.

並列關鍵字

Anthropocentrism ； Environmental Philosophy ； Ancient Confucianism ； Environmental Ethics ； Ethical Principles ； Ren ； The Unity of Virtue of Man and Nature ； Value Formation