公孙丑上 · 第 09 / 09 章 · 孟子 2A.9
《孟子·公孙丑上》2A.9:伯夷与柳下惠,两种不失其身
孟子并列伯夷与柳下惠,不是让人二选一,而是说明守身可以有不同路径:或远恶自洁,或处污而不失其本心与尺度。
孟子曰:「伯夷非其君不事,非其友不友。不立于恶人之朝,不与恶人言;立于恶人之朝,与恶人言,如以朝衣朝冠坐于涂炭。推恶恶之心,思与乡人立,其冠不正,望望然去之,若将浼焉。是故诸侯虽有善其辞命而至者,不受也。不受也者,是亦不屑就已。柳下惠,不羞污君,不卑小官。进不隐贤,必以其道。遗佚而不怨,厄穷而不悯。故曰:『尔为尔,我为我。虽袒裼裸裎于我侧,尔焉能浼我哉!』故由由然与之偕而不自失焉,援而止之而止。援而止之而止者,是亦不屑去已。」孟子曰:「伯夷隘,柳下惠不恭。隘与不恭,君子不由也。」
英文参考译文
Mencius said, 'Bo Yi would not serve a prince whom he did not approve, nor associate with a friend whom he did not esteem. He would not stand in a bad prince's court, nor speak with a bad man. To stand in a bad prince's court, or to speak with a bad man, would have been to him the same as to sit with his court robes and court cap amid mire and ashes. Pursuing the examination of his dislike to what was evil, we find that he thought it necessary, if he happened to be standing with a villager whose cap was not rightly adjusted, to leave him with a high air, as if he were going to be defiled. Therefore, although some of the princes made application to him with very proper messages, he would not receive their gifts. He would not receive their gifts, counting it inconsistent with his purity to go to them. Hui of Liu Xia was not ashamed to serve an impure prince, nor did he think it low to be an inferior officer. When advanced to employment, he did not conceal his virtue, but made it a point to carry out his principles. When neglected and left without office, he did not murmur. When straitened by poverty, he did not grieve. Accordingly, he had a saying,"You are you, and I am I. Although you stand by my side with breast and aims bare, or with your body naked, how can you defile me?" Therefore, self-possessed, he companied with men indifferently, at the same time not losing himself. When he wished to leave, if pressed to remain in office, he would remain. He would remain in office, when pressed to do so, not counting it required by his purity to go away.' Mencius said, 'Bo Yi was narrow-minded, and Hui of Liu Xia was wanting in self-respect. The superior man will not manifest either narrow-mindedness, or the want of self-respect.'
重点修订页
人工补强的解释层
核心问题
为什么孟子要把伯夷和柳下惠并列起来谈?
直接回答
因为他要说明,真正的操守不等于只剩一种外在姿态。有人靠远离恶境守住自己,有人能身处复杂处境而不被污染,关键都在“不失其身”。
第一性原理
道德稳定不是单一动作,而是无论采用什么路径,都不能把自己的判断和根本方向交出去。
为什么重要
这章很适合承接伯夷、柳下惠、洁身自守与处污不染等搜索问题,也能补强本站对人格类型与士人操守的说明。
延伸阅读
这章在做什么
这章是《公孙丑上》第 9 / 9 章,最直接的进入线索是“伯夷非其君不事,非其友不友”。放回全卷,它讨论的是四端、性善与王道根据,并可与四端、性善互相印证。
更宽的搜索入口
如果你带着更宽的问题进入这一章,先从正确的 hub 页进入
全卷语境
《公孙丑上》是理解四端、性善与仁政根据的关键卷次。
引用提示
不要把这章粗暴读成“谁更高尚”。孟子真正保留的是两种不同的守身方式,而不是逼所有人只剩一种模板。