陈·香——写在神学毕业季

正晚间,图书馆的阅览室里照旧只有我和勤工俭学的管理员两个人,但并不代表这里安静适合学习。尽管我们已经关闭了所有的窗户,甚至拉上了厚窗帘,但隔壁礼堂喧嚣的排练声响仍有力地穿透进来。我以老师的身份跑去表达了抗议,但收效甚微,不过几分钟礼貌性地减弱,随即又在亢奋的情绪中失控了。管理员无奈地对我说:"没用的,现在同学们都热衷于此。"这话我能理解:年轻人爱动、爱唱、爱展示是天性使然,本无可厚非,毕竟我也曾经历过热血躁动的青春时期。     

多么奇妙的更新

正"你是位奇妙的神,你是位奇妙的神,你创造了山林你创造大海,你使雀鸟在天空自由自在。你是位奇妙的神……"傍晚,疲惫的我点出手机里的这首赞美诗,合上眼睛,听着六岁的小孩子歌唱。这是他在主日学里学的第一首歌,旋律优美,宛如天籁。当时我录制下来,并且设了自动重复。听着听着,仿佛《诗篇》里的音律和叹息,渐渐拂     

先秦易学的"神明"概念与荀子的"神明"观

"神明"是<易传>关键概念之一,亦在先秦两汉思想范畴中被广泛使用.各家"神明"概念都与"天地"有关,并涉及天地自然造化之过程,古代"神明"不是作为某种祭祀对象而存在,也不表示神祇和鬼神的意义.笔者搜集归纳有关先秦两汉"神明"之资料,发现"神明"一词之用意牵涉天地万物之"德"概念.古人认为,天地万物之死生运行皆源自"德",皆由神明之安排,但"神明"并不具备造物主身份,而是天地合德概念."神明之德"被视为万物造化的原因,若以两个字来表达"神明"的本质,则应是"生机"一词.郭店<太一>阐明了"神明"体现天地的相辅,于是"神明"的作用即是天地之间的媒介、气化主宰者,故为"生机".荀子的"神明"观念,保留天地观的出发点,但同时集中于微观宇宙——"人"的核心概念.荀子对"神明"的定义近于黄老学派,既将"神明"视为"道"的唯一产物,又看作知"道"的唯一依据.只是黄老学派以神明论及天地观,而苟子藉此来探讨儒家的"君子养心"之议题.荀子之外,养生学派也将"心"视为"神明出"的器官,然而养生学派的观点是在表达"神明"是人中的"生机",而荀子藉此"神明"观,来探讨认识论的伦理问题.荀子的神明观,被宋明理学所继承.     

全国政协民宗委主任钮茂生、全国政协副秘书长蒋作君看望慰问中国道教协会负责人

2008年1月30日上午,中共中央统战部部长杜青林、副部长斯塔在二局局长周宁等人的陪同下,到北京白云观看望慰问中国道教协会负责人并与之进行了座谈.     

对"先天图与二进制关系"之争的考察与辨析

在11世纪,宋代易学家邵雍详细阐释了先天图;17世纪末18世纪初,德国数学家、哲学家莱布尼茨系统地提出了二进制.二者具有何种关系成为一个经久不衰的话题.本文首先认真地梳理和辨析了前人的研究成果,其次从反思先天图和二进制的文化意义出发,得出以下结论二进制是纯粹的数学方法,先天图是意蕴丰富的哲学符号,二者区别甚大,没有实质性的关系.     

一节阐明教内外关系的经文——中国基督教第八次代表会议闭幕礼拜的证道

我们感谢赞美天父的眷顾、救主耶稣基督的恩待和圣灵的引导,使我们中国基督教第八次代表会议圆满完成各项议程,胜利闭幕了.刚才我们所读的经文,可以作为会议所通过的工作报告和各项决议的圣经依据,证明会议所指明的方向、所坚持的原则、所提出的任务,都是正确的,天经地义的.     

诸恶莫作 众善奉行——中国道教界坚决反对打着宗教旗号大搞分裂祖国的罪恶行径

正当全国人民庆祝"两会"胜利召开和喜迎奥运之际,达赖集团却有组织、有预谋地精心策划和煽动极少数不法分子在拉萨等地进行打砸抢烧破坏活动,妄图把西藏从祖国分裂出去。对于这种政治图谋和罪恶行径,我们道教界表示强烈的愤慨和     

王重阳平等思想探析

全真道创始人王重阳,建立了以心性修炼为基础的道教内丹思想,力倡每个人都具有平等的心性本体,道性俱足,皆有成仙的可能.这一平等的思想体现在人与自然的关系上,就是万物平等,无有高下;体现在与其他教派的关系上,则是儒、释、道三家圆融平等;而在处世待人上,就要平等待人,不分人之贵贱高低,均须恭敬处之.本文试对这一思想的产生背景、内涵进行探析,进一步揭示其对于悟道、修道和传道的作用和影响.     

杨时承洛启闽的理学思想

程门弟子杨时承洛南传,开拓了洛学在南方的传播与发展,特别是为南宋朱熹闽学的诞生并上承二程洛学为儒学正脉提供了必要的学脉渊源.杨时的理学思想即是以洛学为宗,在洛学的论域内所作的阐释与发挥,他强调理本气化,重视分殊之用,主张反身格物,关注静中体验未发等,这些观点虽不为后学朱熹完全泥守,但却有开启闽学端绪之意义.杨时的理学思想在程朱理学的传衍中起上承下启的作用.     

光辉的足迹——在玄奘法师逝世一千三百周年纪念大会上的讲话

今年正逢玄奘法师诞辰1400周年纪念，为了缅怀这位佛门巨匠和世界文化伟人，佛教界在西安隆重举行了纪念玄奘法师诞辰1400周年法会及玄奘三藏院落成、玄奘顶骨舍利安奉、玄奘法师铜像揭幕庆典，还与学术界联合举办了“玄奘精神与西部文化学术研讨会”等系列纪念活动。　　早在1964年，已故的中国佛教协会赵朴初会长在首都佛教界、文化界纪念玄奘法师逝世1300周年大型集会上发表讲话，全面回顾了玄奘法师充实饱满的一生和极不平凡的成就，对玄奘法师的伟大精神及其对当今世界的意义作了高度评价。赵朴老在讲话中提出的编辑出版《玄奘全集》、编写《玄奘年谱》、校订《大唐西域记》等设想，在其后的三十多年中陆续成为现实；而修建玄奘纪念馆、设计制作玄奘法师雕像等愿望，也在佛教界的不懈努力下终得圆满。在纪念玄奘法师诞辰1400周年之际，重温赵朴老的这篇讲话，感到分外亲切。本期还选登了黄心川先生、惟贤法师在学术研讨会上的发言，特约日本法相宗大本山药师寺副住持安田 胤先生介绍玄奘法师与日本法相宗的因缘，请王尧先生介绍《大唐西域记》藏译本的有关情况，以此作为玄奘法师诞辰1400周年的纪念。     

What is nature? – ziran in early Daoist thinking

The question of the relation between humans and nature lies at the foundation of any philosophy. With the daily worsening environmental crisis, we are forced to face this ancient question again. Yet when we put it into the form of ‘humans and nature’, a metaphysics is already implied and the problem of nature has not yet been questioned. At this moment, the very question that needs to be put forward is, ‘What is nature’? The question of nature will be interrogated through a comparative view in this essay. First, I argue the modern understanding of nature lies at the root of today’s environmental problems. Then, I go back to early Daoism to explore Daoist thinking on ziran (usually translated as ‘nature’). The meaning of ‘dao emulates ziran’ is brought to light through a detailed interpretation of the ziran of dao and things. Ziran penetrates the dao, the heavenly, the earthly and the human. It is with the understanding of ziran that the nature of humans and all things are illuminated. Heidegger’s thinking on nature in connection with Daoism is briefly examined together with some other significant environmental philosophies.     

儒家伦理的基德和荣格的道德观

作为中国传统文化之主体的儒家伦理,已经确立了中国传统文化的"基德"或"母德",这是在长达2000多年历史发展中形成的,经过先秦时期的百家争鸣,形成了独树一帜的儒家思想,董仲舒提出"抑黜百家、独尊儒术"的建议,确立了儒家在中国社会的统治地位。经过以后历代的兼收并蓄和对立融合,发展成为儒、道、佛融合一体的宋明理学,近代中国社会对儒家思想的批判性发展,促使人们对儒家伦理思想进行时代的反思。荣格的分析心理学思想为东西方道德观的比较提供了一种独特的研究视角。     

<Emphasis Type="Bold">Virtue Ethics and Being Morally Moved</Emphasis>

This essay shall discuss the moral feeling of “being morally moved” (daode gandong 道德感动) and explore its philosophical significances in understanding the nature of virtue ethics, especially that of Confucian ethics as exemplary ethics. I would like to argue that the feeling of being morally moved, similar to other feelings such as resentment or indignation, should be seen as one of the most important testimonies or manifestations of our morality or moral consciousness. It has played a very important role of moral judgment and moral cultivation in the history of Chinese moral philosophy and in its everyday moral practices. Instead of being a testimony of morality as cold laws or norms, “being morally moved” is a testimony to our moral virtues, and it should be a living motive of our moral actions as well.     

Zur Geschichte und aktuellen Situation der Ethik in der Sowjetunion

Developments in Soviet ethics have been largely, but not exclusively, determined by the official ideology. Since 1917 philosophers have debated four successive models of morality. In the first, morality was regarded as tool of the exploiting classes and thus was superseded by communism. This attitude in fact fostered moral nihilism and anarchism. In the second period of ethical reflection, morality was contrued as a social, class-relative, phenomenon, conceived in utilitarian terms. With respect to Communist morality whatever serves socialism as defined by the Communist Party acquires the force of a moral imperative. It is important to understand whether this perspective is true to Marx's views. Whereas classical ethics assumed an extraworldy foundation for morality Marx adopted the humanist, immanentist perspective, according to which morality has a pragmatic sense as an ideal, the goal of activity. Soviet ethical theory of the Stalin era did not deviate from this perspective, for which reason ethics as a professional science was entirely subordinated to Party decrees about socialism as an ideal. In the third period beginning in the mid-fifties, a new view came to the fore which was codified in the 1961 Party program: moral values are now regarded as having a specific quality, social development involves a moral dimension, and moral values exhibit an all-human import. During this period the leading issue among philosophers is the question of the essence and specificity of morality as distinct from other forms of social consciousness. Just prior to the era of perestrojka beginning in 1985 a fourth model emerged which in fact prepared in most essential respects the actual new thinking in morality. The matters under consideration had to do with the global dimensions of moral problems given the common experience and fears of humanity. For this reason morality was now seen as superseding politics. Presently, this reorientation has not only enabled abandoning attitudes favoring class morality, but thrown into relief the tragic consequences of this attitude within Soviet history.The new image of morality corresponds to abstract humanism with its stress on the person and universal values. The task before Soviet ethicians is to provide theoretical and methodological foundations for their research by which they can improve the professional quality of their work and provide the discipline with a new identity over and against Marxism.     

The place of Buddhism in Santayana's moral philosophy

Within the moral philosophy of the Spanish‐American philosopher George San‐tayana (1863–1952), reference to Buddhism becomes an essential feature in his formulation of the notion of post‐rational morality, which is that ‘phase’ of morality which involves an effort to subordinate all precepts to one that points to some single eventual good. Post‐rational morality is synonymous with the spiritual life, an essential feature of which is detachment; and this is why the Buddhists can be said to be the ‘true masters’ of the subject. Santayana's claim that Buddhism “suffers from a fundamental contradiction” can also be seen as an opportunity for us to deepen our own understanding of that philosophy.     

HUMAN PHENOTYPIC MORALITY AND THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS FOR KNOWING GOOD

Co‐creating knowledge takes a new approach to human phenotypic morality as a biologically based, human lineage specific (HLS) trait. Authors from very different backgrounds (anthropology and biology, on the one hand, and astronomy, philosophy, and theology, on the other) first review research on the nature and origins of morality using the social brain network, and studies of individuals who cannot “know good” or think morally because of brain dysfunction. They find these models helpful but insufficient, and turn to paleoanthropology, cognitive science, and neuroscience to understand human moral capacity and its origins long ago, in the genus Homo. An unusual narrative capturing “morality in action” takes the reader back 900,000 years, and then the authors analyze the essential features of moral thinking and behavior as expressed by early and later species on our lineage. In what has primarily been the province of philosophers to date, the authors’ morality model is presented for further scientific testing.     

An exposition of Zhou Yi studies in modern Neo-Confucianism

The representatives of modern Neo-Confucianism all greatly value Yi Zhuan and regard it as one of their spiritual resources, and give their own creative interpretations and transformations. Xiong Shili’s ontological-cosmological theory takes “qian yuan” as its center; Ma Yifu has a theory of ontology-cultivation centered on “nature-principle”; Fang Dongmei has a metaphysics of production and reproduction; Mou Zongsan takes the view of “completely knowing the fathomless and understanding transformation” as a moral metaphysics; and in Tang Junyi there is a theory of the harmony of doctrines on Heaven and man in which “the knowledge of divine understanding” is its key concept. They employ modern philosophical concepts and thinking to illustrate the cosmology, ontology, theory of life, theory of human nature, theory of spiritual worlds, axiology and their connections in Zhou Yi. They affirm that the characteristics of Chinese philosophy that are different from Western philosophy consist in a naturalist view of vital life, a harmonious view of totality, an axiological view that values exist in natural universe and the world of fact, the pursuit of Good and Beauty, and intuitive experience of inner world. __________ Translated from Zhou Yi Yanjiu 周易研究 (Zhou Yi Studies), 2004 (4) by Hao Changchi     

Buddhist Impact on Chinese Culture

The Chinese traditional culture includes three systems of thought: Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism. The first two are Chinese culture, and Buddhism is a foreign religion introduced from India. Although there had been conflicts among the three systems of thoughts, but integration is the mainstream in the development of Chinese cultural thought. Thus, Chinese culture has developed into a system by uniting the three religions into one with Confucianism at the centre supported by Daoism and Buddhism. For over 2,000 years, Buddhism has interacted with all levels of Chinese culture such as literature, philosophy, morality, arts, architecture and religions. As a result, Buddhism has successfully integrated into the traditional Chinese culture and has become one of the three pillars. In this paper, I will discuss the Buddhist impact on Chinese culture from the following four points: (1) philosophy and moral teaching; (2) religions and popular beliefs; (3) language and literature; and (4) art and architecture.     

A Synthetic Approach to Bioethical Inquiry

This paper attempts to sort out some of the current tensions and ambiguities inherent in the field of bioethics as it continues to mature. In particular it focuses on the question of the methodological relevance of theory or ethical principles to the domain of clinical ethics. I offer an approach to reasoning about moral conflict that combines the insights of contemporary moral theorists, the philosophy of American pragmatism, and the skills of rhetorical deliberation. This synthetic approach locates a proper role for moral theory in the practice of clinical ethics, thus linking abstract philosophical ideas about morality, humanity, suffering, and health to specific deeds, actions, and decisions in the concrete lives of particular individuals. The aim of this synthetic approach of bioethical inquiry is a rapprochement between theoretical knowledge in moral philosophy and the contextualized, relational, and practical understanding of what morality demands of us in our daily lives. I argue for a conception of bioethical inquiry that takes morality to be a study of certain practical, socially embedded concerns about matters of right and wrong, good and evil, as well as a study of the moral theories by which these actual concerns can be explored and critically evaluated.     

Change,Contradiction, and Overconfidence: Chinese Philosophy and Cognitive Peculiarities of Asians

This article discusses philosophical influence, especially the influence made by Confucianism and Daoism, on the way Asian people see and understand the world. Recently, Richard Nisbett drew a connection between Chinese philosophy (Confucianism and Daoism) and the cognitive profiles of the people who live in Asian countries where Confucianism and Daoism are strong social and cultural traditions. He argues that there is a peculiar way that Asians think and perceive things and this cognitive pattern is influenced by a group of principles derived from Chinese philosophy. This article critically analyzes Nisbett’s explanation, his emphasis on the principle of change in particular, and provides an alternative explanation of the connection between Chinese philosophy and cognitive peculiarities of Asians. Asians combine and integrate opposite viewpoints not because they believe that things change in all unexpected directions, but because they see the world as a big system with interrelated and mutually influencing components.