錢穆《孔子與論語》義涵之探究

Exploring the Implications of 〈Qian Mu Analects of Confucius〉

宋朝宰相趙普曾說「半部論語治天下。」雖是誇飾之詞，但能讀通《論語》，用它來持家立身，推而廣之，仍具治國平天下之質。錢穆的著作所以闡述孔子思想的多，理由無他，壹在孔子思想近可持家立身，遠可治國平天下，可視為放諸四海皆準的經世典範。以其為典範，如再加闡述，其輝澤姿采亦必若璞玉之出石中，更顯熤耀光朗，這即是《孔子與論語》述作動機的緣由。然則錢穆教人讀《論語》，不必一定從深處探求，卻是從基本工夫入手，所以〈怎樣讀論語〉，簡要的方法，一在讀「疏注」；一在「不偏考據、辭章、義理」。由「疏注」而知前人之說，由考據義理等而知上下文脈及思想精要，二者聯貫一致，對《論語》義涵就有通透深入的瞭解，這就是從近處卑處求的意思。至於《論語》之學，所涵雖廣，不外人生之道，道就是路，由路而通向坦然的途徑，是人人所求，而這途徑並不外求，當如《論語》所說「志於道」、「據於德」「依於仁」、「游於藝」，才是基本要件，而歸結最後，就是由「藝」返「道」，可知「藝」是術，而「道」是本來，所謂「歸根復原」才是大義的所在，因此，「道」」與「藝」相合，而以「仁」、「德」為津樑，循序以進，會通交貫，至善理境就可達至。總之，儒家主體在於人文，人文的極致就在使天下人相安相樂各得其所，讀《論語》而有這樣的理念，由修己而安人，由安人而安天下的百姓，讓這一「安」字，不僅安己，也安所有的群體，使人人皆安，那麼這人的胸懷豈不是非常寬廣非常闊越！這寬廣闊越的思想，在《孔子與論語》一書中，不亦已概括齊全了。

A Prime Minister of Song Dynasty, called Zhao Pu ,once said “Half of the book The Analects of Confucius can rule the world.” Although his words were a kind of exaggerating praise, if people can fully understand the contents of The Analects of Confucius, they can use them to manage their families and conducts, and apply them extensively to other areas, then ,the book still possesses the nature of ruling a country and making it peaceful. Qian Mu had many of his writings elucidating the thinking of Confucius. The reasons for this were very simple. The thinking of Confucius, in the short run, could help manage people’s families and conducts, and, in the long run, could rule a country and make it peaceful. His thinking is regarded as a model thinking universally applicable at all times. When the thinking of Confucius is taken as a model thinking and is further explained, its wonderful contents and meanings are just like an uncarved jade being cut off from a rock, and would even more show its brightness and shining light. This is the motive and reason for writing Confucius and The Analects of Confucius. Nevertheless, Qian Mu asked readers not to necessarily explore the deepest part when reading The Analects of Confucius, but to start to comprehend the contents from the basic part. Therefore, “How to read The Analects of Confucius” shows the simple methods: one is the reading of “footnotes,” and the other is “not to rely on references, prose, principles.” From “footnotes,” readers can know the explanation of our ancestors; and from references and principles, readers can know the connection between contexts and the essence of Confucius’ thinking. When these two parts link to each other and are consistent, we can have thorough and in-depth understanding of the meaning of The Analects of Confucius. This is just meant by pursuit from the places nearby in a humble manner. As to the learning of The Analects of Confucius, despite the broad scope it covers, it is no more than the way of life, which is just a path. From the path, we can walk to a flat road, which is just what everybody pursues. But we do not pursue the flat road from the outside. As mentioned in The Analects of Confucius, “set heart on way,” “support by virtue,” “abide by benevolence,” and “swim in the art” are just the basic elements. To sum up in the end, from “arts’ back to “way,” we can know that “art” is technique, and “way” is the origin. The so-called “recovery to its root” is just where the great meaning is. Therefore, “way” and “art” combine together, with “benevolence” and “virtue” being the beams. They step by step exchange and connect with each other, and then perfection can be reached. Above all, the main body of Confucian thinking is humanities; and the ultimate part of humanities is to make all the people in the world live peacefully and happily, and achieve what they want. People reading The Analects of Confucius should have such a concept: from cultivating oneself to making civilians peaceful, and from making civilians peaceful to making all the people in the world peaceful. Let the word “peace” refer not only to oneself, but also to all the groups, making everybody feel peaceful. In this way, the breadth of mind of this person is very broad and very surpassing! Such a broad and surpassing thinking has just been well covered in the book Confucius and The Analects of Confucius.