《禮》與柳宗元古文

Propriety, and the Classical Prose by Liu Chung-yüan

本文擬從柳宗元的家世背景，討論柳宗元對「禮」的認知意涵，由此確立「禮」的觀念與生活方式，既可能是指他的行止表現，也可能指他的文章表現。
柳宗元重視「仁義」為「禮」的內在根本，是故所謂「本之《禮》以求其宜」，應當是指當內心道德建立之後，再尋求對應於外在具體事件的正確標準，求得一個合理適當的安頓生命的位置。「禮」表現在柳宗元身上，包括守禮的生活型態、個人對「禮」的認知、以及「禮」的相關問題討論，落實於古文寫作上具有道德意義，考慮到如何關懷民生、經世濟民等各方面的表現。借助這般社會道德價值的重建，我們才能感受到古文運動提倡者能用古文來闡明這個道，所以文可以復興，道也得以復興。

This article investigates Liu Chung-yüan’s clan and family background to discuss whether his understanding of Li (Propriety) is determined by his theoretical beliefs about Li or from his behavior, which is probably represented by the way he conducted his life and through his writings.
Liu Chung-yüan emphasizes the intrinsic values of “Humaneness and Righteousness” as “Propriety”, referred to as “the root of Propriety as the search for its properness.” This means that rectification of virtues in someone’s heart leads to the search for criteria to employ in external-and-concrete affairs, and for the search for a standard by which to conduct one’s life based on the concepts of peace and proper behavior. His performance of “Propriety” in his life, provides his writings with a sense of morality: namely, his classical compositions pay attention to the circumstances of ordinary people, political reform, and the abolition of misgovernment. By reconstructing the value of social morality, we are able to sense that proponents of the Guwen movement make use of Guwen to illuminate the Dao, and the Dao has been restored.