儒家始祖形象的三种形态及其意义

传统儒家从未停止对事物根源与本质的探索。所谓"物有本末,事有终始","始"之字义常常兼具逻辑上的原初性与价值上的根本性。始祖作为生民存续之始和人道的开端,其形象隐含着重要的理论意义,更关联着儒家思想与制度的核心。本文分别从感生之祖、始封之祖、生民之祖三种形态出发,追溯始祖形象的特点,并试图通过这一讨论来理解儒家家国建构的不同模式及其基础。

Three Images of the Earliest Ancestor in Confucianism and Their Meanings

Traditional Confucianism has never ceased to explore the root and essence of things.In the saying,"Every thing has its essentials and non-essentials,and every matter has a beginning and an end,"the term"beginning"often indicates both logical originality and value fund ament ality.The image of the earliest ancestor as the beginning of human existence and the initiation of humanity has important theoretical significance and is connected to the core of Confucian ideology and institutions.This article traces the characteristics of the image of the earliest ancestor through three traditional forms,namely,the ancestor by divine conception,the ancestor by enfeoffment,and the ancestor of the people.Through these three forms,a discussion will be given to facilitate an understand of the different models and foundations of the Confucian family-state.