二程道德論與工夫論述要

A Study of the General Principles of the Ch’eng Brothers’ Theory of Morality and Cultivation

二程的道德理論中，明道建立了天人一本說，卻嚴辨真妄之分，確立了道德實踐的地位。又將天德與王道連繫起來，而有政治實踐的色彩。明道的本體觀是天德流行，道德實踐是向天德逐步地、無限地趨近。伊川則持靜定的本體觀，其所特重的理欲之辨，是對自己超克，從根本處化私為公而入理。二程的工夫論分主敬與窮理兩主題來論述。明道以敬的工夫來接續、維持天德的流行，伊川的敬則是針對個人內心的改造工夫。整齊嚴肅為其開始，主一無適則為其核心。明道的窮理工夫意在使天德流行得其恰好，伊川的窮理則以進入靜定之理為目的。明道的敬是體的、本質的工夫，窮理則是用的、助緣的工夫，伊川則反之。

In this article the author first discusses the Ch'eng brothers’ moral theory, which is closely connected with their ontology. Ch'eng Hao maintains that heaven and man are from a single root, but distinguishes between the truthful and the false at the side of man. Moral practice, by which man behaves truthfully, is therefore indispensable. Another point of his ontology is the continuation of heavenly virtue; moral practice consists then in the gradual and endless correction of oneself so as to become closer to the purity of heavenly virtue. In his ethics there is also a combination of heavenly virtue with good government. Ch'eng I's ontology is different from his brother's in that substance is seen as a perpetually-unmoved One. Moral practice is for him to discern and extinguish selfish desires; it is by such continual self-conquering that one returns to the objective and uninterested principle. The author then discusses their theories of cultivation, including “holding to attentiveness” and “investigating principle”. The cultivation of “holding to attentiveness” for Ch'eng Hao results in linking oneself to the continuation of heavenly virtue. As for Ch'eng I, this effort changes man from within. He argues that “holding to attentiveness” should start from orderliness and seriousness of behaviour, and then advance to the stage where the mind masters itself. The significance of “investigation of principle” is also different for the two brothers. For Ch'eng Hao it is a practice subsidiary to “holding to attentiveness,” and is for the purpose of establishing the correct interaction between man and his environment so as to ensure the continuation of heavenly principle. Ch'eng I, on the other hand, regards “investigation of principle” as an effort to access the eternally-unmoved principle; therefore it is a step further and more important than “holding to attentiveness”.