Identity as a Philosophical Problem: A Neo-Confucian Perspective(作为哲学问题的“自我认同”——从新儒家的观点看)
尽管语言存在限制，可执筌乃得鱼之一途；言语作为行为的一种，确可从其中分辨出说话人修行之深浅，境界之高下。日常研究儒家之徒常常鱼目混珠，但以下这段文字，确是我在英文世界中读到的最好的“儒家式信仰自白”（confession of Confucian faith)，作者为刘述先。不说“儒家信仰自白”，是因为任何真正的信仰，都不是为了一宗一教，它是对某种无限而终极的力量的自我托付(self-commitement)，是在现实生活中谋求某种终极的自我转化之道，说到底还是为了让个人、让民众、让国家民族众生生活得更好；得信之后，信仰者的心态将极为深沉、平静而快乐，对世间万物也抱着慈爱平等、谦虚好学、务实恳切之心态，远非借信仰之名而仅仅维护一家一派之利益的伪信仰者所企及。伟大的信仰传统都是经过起时间检验的，它们都以各自独特的方式指向终极并关怀现世，但却并不妨碍在新的时代中采纳新的形式，并与其他的传统与民族相互学习、和平相处。
所以下面这段文字，如谁有精力，可翻译出来，奇文共赏。
In my search for identity, certainly I cannot be satisfied by merely living through my life, as I would rather commit suicide if I cannot find any meaning in my existence . I notice as a matter of fact different people are living for different reasons . They are busy to chase material comfort, pleasure, profit, wealth, honor, fame, power, success, health, love, etc. I do not particularly care for all these, and see them as ephemeral and in that sense empty, just like what the Daoists and the Buddhists tell us. I would rather look for something eternal, but then I cannot find a Platonic world of Ideas, or a paradise beyond this world. Indeed the world is in universal flux without a moment's standstill. But then I notice that there is life, order, both natural and social, and most important of all, spark of creativity all around us . Surely I do not know their source. When I examine my own life, however, I find that I just cannot suppress the creative spark within me, and I also have such a strong love for life, and empathy for other lives. When I work hard to develop what is endowed in my nature, I feel happy and satisfied. In fact whatever is actually achieved is not all that important in itself, so long as I have tried my best to live a creative life, as my achievement is limited by external factors beyond my control . Once I find meaning and fulfillment in my life, I cannot but be thankful for the origin of my life. I am naturally grateful to my parents, but they are not the ultimate origin of my life. We all owe our existence and lives to that mysterious source, which is called Heaven since times immemorial. Heaven is none other than the invisible, infinite creative principle which works incessantly in the universe. As it is not a thing with physical shape, it is not the object of empirical, scientific studies, it can only be the object of our faith . But we stake our faith in Heaven for good reasons, as the creativity intimately experienced by us find resonance in the universe at large, and nothing can decisively disprove that there is the union between Heaven and man . Our lives are indeed finite, but we are not the kind of isolated individuals as portrayed by the existentialists, so long as we are willing to draw deep in ourselves and try our best to reach out, not to be cut off from our source, then the finite will find ample resonance in their fellow human beings, in nature, and in the infinite. Such is the basic insight that is handed down to us through the Confucian tradition, and it is certainly not devoid of contemporary significance . As every person is born a unique individual, naturally this is where he finds his personal identity. But the Neo-Confucians have to make an all-important distinction between the ego and the self. The self receives his endowment from Heaven, always open to creativity and humanity, and is forever in the process of making. The ego, however, has cut itself from the source of creativity, becomes a closed system, and fails to respond to internal and external changes. The more the ego clings to its selfish desires, uses its cunning to serve its prejudices, the more it will find its own limitations and experience a strong sense of anxiety and insecurity. The paradox lies in that when the ego is overcome then the self will find its realization . This is why one has to find the linkage between the finite and the infinite, and identity with the creativity of Heaven in addition to identity of the person. Tillich(蒂利希） is right to pointing out that we must not ultimately commit ourselves to something finite such as the nation or the party, and to place our faith in them is to practice idolatry which sometimes may have demonic consequences. Tillich's faith points to what he calls the God above gods, while the Confucians place their faith in Heaven . The difference lies in that Tillich follows the Christian tradition and still has his faith in a supernatural God, while the Confucians have their faith in a transcendent creative principle that works incessantly in this world.
(刘述先）Liu Shu-hsien ——The Humanities Bulletin (CUHK) vol. iv : 23-37.
所以下面这段文字，如谁有精力，可翻译出来，奇文共赏。
In my search for identity, certainly I cannot be satisfied by merely living through my life, as I would rather commit suicide if I cannot find any meaning in my existence . I notice as a matter of fact different people are living for different reasons . They are busy to chase material comfort, pleasure, profit, wealth, honor, fame, power, success, health, love, etc. I do not particularly care for all these, and see them as ephemeral and in that sense empty, just like what the Daoists and the Buddhists tell us. I would rather look for something eternal, but then I cannot find a Platonic world of Ideas, or a paradise beyond this world. Indeed the world is in universal flux without a moment's standstill. But then I notice that there is life, order, both natural and social, and most important of all, spark of creativity all around us . Surely I do not know their source. When I examine my own life, however, I find that I just cannot suppress the creative spark within me, and I also have such a strong love for life, and empathy for other lives. When I work hard to develop what is endowed in my nature, I feel happy and satisfied. In fact whatever is actually achieved is not all that important in itself, so long as I have tried my best to live a creative life, as my achievement is limited by external factors beyond my control . Once I find meaning and fulfillment in my life, I cannot but be thankful for the origin of my life. I am naturally grateful to my parents, but they are not the ultimate origin of my life. We all owe our existence and lives to that mysterious source, which is called Heaven since times immemorial. Heaven is none other than the invisible, infinite creative principle which works incessantly in the universe. As it is not a thing with physical shape, it is not the object of empirical, scientific studies, it can only be the object of our faith . But we stake our faith in Heaven for good reasons, as the creativity intimately experienced by us find resonance in the universe at large, and nothing can decisively disprove that there is the union between Heaven and man . Our lives are indeed finite, but we are not the kind of isolated individuals as portrayed by the existentialists, so long as we are willing to draw deep in ourselves and try our best to reach out, not to be cut off from our source, then the finite will find ample resonance in their fellow human beings, in nature, and in the infinite. Such is the basic insight that is handed down to us through the Confucian tradition, and it is certainly not devoid of contemporary significance . As every person is born a unique individual, naturally this is where he finds his personal identity. But the Neo-Confucians have to make an all-important distinction between the ego and the self. The self receives his endowment from Heaven, always open to creativity and humanity, and is forever in the process of making. The ego, however, has cut itself from the source of creativity, becomes a closed system, and fails to respond to internal and external changes. The more the ego clings to its selfish desires, uses its cunning to serve its prejudices, the more it will find its own limitations and experience a strong sense of anxiety and insecurity. The paradox lies in that when the ego is overcome then the self will find its realization . This is why one has to find the linkage between the finite and the infinite, and identity with the creativity of Heaven in addition to identity of the person. Tillich(蒂利希） is right to pointing out that we must not ultimately commit ourselves to something finite such as the nation or the party, and to place our faith in them is to practice idolatry which sometimes may have demonic consequences. Tillich's faith points to what he calls the God above gods, while the Confucians place their faith in Heaven . The difference lies in that Tillich follows the Christian tradition and still has his faith in a supernatural God, while the Confucians have their faith in a transcendent creative principle that works incessantly in this world.
(刘述先）Liu Shu-hsien ——The Humanities Bulletin (CUHK) vol. iv : 23-37.
