In this age when information technology is developing at breakneck speed, the economy is going global and research in life sciences has also taken off, do the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius still have a place in society？
The answer is yes. In terms of value, the core teachings of the two great minds are neither bounded by time nor space.
It is impossible to go into all the key thoughts of Confucius and Mencius here.
I shall just touch on Confucius' simplest explanation of his concept of“仁” or “ren”－（this has been translated as benevolence, love, kindness and humanity, etc） and Mencius' notion that “Man's nature is good at birth”。
It was said that Fan Chi, a student of Confucius, once asked the master what “ren” meant. Confucius' reply： “It means to love other people.”
Mencius, on the other hand, argued that “Man's nature is good at birth” because compassion is common to mankind. Everyone is capable of conduct in line with “ren”, those who are not would cease to be members of humankind.
Now, let us ask ourselves a simple question： “Could the benefit of such thoughts possibly be limited by time and space？”
Confucius advocated the importance to love other people. Is it not apparent that this idea is valuable and useful in helping people to live a life filled with happiness and warmth？
Could this idea be relevant and useful only in ancient times and have lost its relevance and value in the 21st century？
Could it be applicable only to people in the East and not people in the West？
The answer to both questions is of course “No”。 And we can draw some useful conclusions from here.
Since it is true that love is necessary for happiness and warmth in life, this makes the need for people to love and care for one another an idea that is valuable and practical.
Since it is true that love is necessary for happiness and warmth in life, not only in ancient times, but also in today's society, this makes the need for people to love and care for one another an idea that transcends time.
Since it is true that love is necessary for happiness and warmth in life, not only for people in the East, but also in the West, this makes the need for people to love and care for one another an idea that has no boundaries.
Mencius encouraged the expression of compassion, humanity and human dignity to make for a truly “human” society.
Again, we need only to ask ourselves a simple question： “Are values such as compassion, humanity and human dignity not valuable and beneficial？”
And by the same token, these values are as much relevant in the past as they are today. They also apply to both people in the East and in the West. In short, they are timeless and beyond the constraint of space.
By and large, core teachings of the two venerable sages have stood the test of time, and they will probably always have a role in human society.
We have indeed progressed into a new era, but so long as we are still keen in our pursuit to lead a truly “human” life and live in a truly “human” society, the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius will always be relevant and useful.
（The writer is a retired NUS Chinese philosophy professor. Translated by Yap Gee Poh）
孔孟思想還有用嗎？
蘇新鋈
孔子和孟子都是的思想家,他們的思想進(jìn)入現(xiàn)今資訊科技高速發(fā)展,經(jīng)濟(jì)走向全球化,生命工程也已起步的新世紀(jì)時(shí)代,究竟還有沒(méi)有用？
孔子畫(huà)像
我想答案仍然可以說(shuō)是“有用”的。因?yàn)樗麄兊乃枷?從價(jià)值的角度看,很多要點(diǎn)都是不受時(shí)間和空間限制的。
這里不能把孔子和孟子思想的所有要點(diǎn),都加以敘述。就姑且只以孔子對(duì)他的所謂“仁”的一個(gè)最簡(jiǎn)單的解釋,和孟子認(rèn)為人性是善的一個(gè)最為人所知的指證,作例子來(lái)說(shuō)說(shuō)罷。
有一次孔子的學(xué)生樊遲問(wèn)孔子什么是“仁”,孔子回答說(shuō)“仁”就是“能夠愛(ài)人”。孟子指證人性是善的時(shí)候說(shuō)人都有“惻隱之心”,因而都有“仁”的行為。否則,就不是人。
我們?cè)囅胂肟?孔、孟這種思想的用處,有時(shí)間和空間的限制嗎？孔子大力鼓勵(lì)人要好好的去愛(ài)人。這種思想,對(duì)營(yíng)造人類生活的幸福、溫馨等等,難道還不是有價(jià)值的、有用的嗎？
難道這只是在古代才有價(jià)值、才有用,在進(jìn)入21世紀(jì)的現(xiàn)代就沒(méi)有價(jià)值、沒(méi)有用了嗎？難道只是對(duì)東方地域的人,才有價(jià)值、才有用,對(duì)西方地域的人就沒(méi)有價(jià)值、沒(méi)有用了嗎？
這些問(wèn)題的答案都不應(yīng)是“沒(méi)用”,而相反是“有用”的。這樣,則：一、既然肯定人類生活的幸福、溫馨,是需要的,是須要有愛(ài)來(lái)營(yíng)造,要人能愛(ài)人才行的,那么,人要好好的去愛(ài)人,便成為是營(yíng)造幸福、溫馨的人類生活的有價(jià)值的、有用的思想了。
二、既然肯定不只是古代人,縱令是現(xiàn)代人要有幸福、溫馨的生活,也是要有愛(ài)來(lái)營(yíng)造,要人能愛(ài)人才行的,那么,人要好好的去愛(ài)人,便成為不受時(shí)間限制,時(shí)代不同而還是一樣有用的思想了。
三、既然肯定不只是東方地域的人,縱令是西方地域的人要有幸福、溫馨的生活,也是要有愛(ài)來(lái)營(yíng)造,要人能愛(ài)人才行的,那么,人要好好的去愛(ài)人,便也成為不受空間限制,地域不同而還是一樣有用的思想了。
孟子極力激勵(lì)人要大發(fā)惻隱之心,做仁愛(ài)的行為,表現(xiàn)成有人格的人,以便能構(gòu)成一個(gè)真正是“人”的社會(huì)。
我們又試想想看,孟子的這種思想——人要有人格,能惻隱、能仁愛(ài),構(gòu)成真是“人”的社會(huì)——不也是有價(jià)值的、有用的嗎？不也是不只在古代,縱令在現(xiàn)代,要人有人格,要構(gòu)成真是“人”的社會(huì),也須要有而一樣是有價(jià)值的,有用的嗎？
不也是不只對(duì)東方地域的人,縱令是對(duì)西方地域的人,要人有人格,要構(gòu)成真是“人”的社會(huì),也須要有而一樣是有價(jià)值的、有用的嗎？
所以,這些問(wèn)題的答案,也都是在肯定孟子的這種思想是“有用”的。它是不受時(shí)、空的限制,是不論古今、不分東西的有用于任何時(shí)、空的。
孔子和孟子的很多思想要點(diǎn),大抵就都是這樣的極具不朽的價(jià)值而永恒有用的。
如今,人類的新世紀(jì)雖然來(lái)臨了,然而,人如果還要追求真正是“人”的生活、是“人”的社會(huì)的確實(shí)獲致與享有,則孔、孟的思想恐怕仍無(wú)例外,還是繼續(xù)有用的罷！
The answer is yes. In terms of value, the core teachings of the two great minds are neither bounded by time nor space.
It is impossible to go into all the key thoughts of Confucius and Mencius here.
I shall just touch on Confucius' simplest explanation of his concept of“仁” or “ren”－（this has been translated as benevolence, love, kindness and humanity, etc） and Mencius' notion that “Man's nature is good at birth”。
It was said that Fan Chi, a student of Confucius, once asked the master what “ren” meant. Confucius' reply： “It means to love other people.”
Mencius, on the other hand, argued that “Man's nature is good at birth” because compassion is common to mankind. Everyone is capable of conduct in line with “ren”, those who are not would cease to be members of humankind.
Now, let us ask ourselves a simple question： “Could the benefit of such thoughts possibly be limited by time and space？”
Confucius advocated the importance to love other people. Is it not apparent that this idea is valuable and useful in helping people to live a life filled with happiness and warmth？
Could this idea be relevant and useful only in ancient times and have lost its relevance and value in the 21st century？
Could it be applicable only to people in the East and not people in the West？
The answer to both questions is of course “No”。 And we can draw some useful conclusions from here.
Since it is true that love is necessary for happiness and warmth in life, this makes the need for people to love and care for one another an idea that is valuable and practical.
Since it is true that love is necessary for happiness and warmth in life, not only in ancient times, but also in today's society, this makes the need for people to love and care for one another an idea that transcends time.
Since it is true that love is necessary for happiness and warmth in life, not only for people in the East, but also in the West, this makes the need for people to love and care for one another an idea that has no boundaries.
Mencius encouraged the expression of compassion, humanity and human dignity to make for a truly “human” society.
Again, we need only to ask ourselves a simple question： “Are values such as compassion, humanity and human dignity not valuable and beneficial？”
And by the same token, these values are as much relevant in the past as they are today. They also apply to both people in the East and in the West. In short, they are timeless and beyond the constraint of space.
By and large, core teachings of the two venerable sages have stood the test of time, and they will probably always have a role in human society.
We have indeed progressed into a new era, but so long as we are still keen in our pursuit to lead a truly “human” life and live in a truly “human” society, the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius will always be relevant and useful.
（The writer is a retired NUS Chinese philosophy professor. Translated by Yap Gee Poh）
孔孟思想還有用嗎？
蘇新鋈
孔子和孟子都是的思想家,他們的思想進(jìn)入現(xiàn)今資訊科技高速發(fā)展,經(jīng)濟(jì)走向全球化,生命工程也已起步的新世紀(jì)時(shí)代,究竟還有沒(méi)有用？
孔子畫(huà)像
我想答案仍然可以說(shuō)是“有用”的。因?yàn)樗麄兊乃枷?從價(jià)值的角度看,很多要點(diǎn)都是不受時(shí)間和空間限制的。
這里不能把孔子和孟子思想的所有要點(diǎn),都加以敘述。就姑且只以孔子對(duì)他的所謂“仁”的一個(gè)最簡(jiǎn)單的解釋,和孟子認(rèn)為人性是善的一個(gè)最為人所知的指證,作例子來(lái)說(shuō)說(shuō)罷。
有一次孔子的學(xué)生樊遲問(wèn)孔子什么是“仁”,孔子回答說(shuō)“仁”就是“能夠愛(ài)人”。孟子指證人性是善的時(shí)候說(shuō)人都有“惻隱之心”,因而都有“仁”的行為。否則,就不是人。
我們?cè)囅胂肟?孔、孟這種思想的用處,有時(shí)間和空間的限制嗎？孔子大力鼓勵(lì)人要好好的去愛(ài)人。這種思想,對(duì)營(yíng)造人類生活的幸福、溫馨等等,難道還不是有價(jià)值的、有用的嗎？
難道這只是在古代才有價(jià)值、才有用,在進(jìn)入21世紀(jì)的現(xiàn)代就沒(méi)有價(jià)值、沒(méi)有用了嗎？難道只是對(duì)東方地域的人,才有價(jià)值、才有用,對(duì)西方地域的人就沒(méi)有價(jià)值、沒(méi)有用了嗎？
這些問(wèn)題的答案都不應(yīng)是“沒(méi)用”,而相反是“有用”的。這樣,則：一、既然肯定人類生活的幸福、溫馨,是需要的,是須要有愛(ài)來(lái)營(yíng)造,要人能愛(ài)人才行的,那么,人要好好的去愛(ài)人,便成為是營(yíng)造幸福、溫馨的人類生活的有價(jià)值的、有用的思想了。
二、既然肯定不只是古代人,縱令是現(xiàn)代人要有幸福、溫馨的生活,也是要有愛(ài)來(lái)營(yíng)造,要人能愛(ài)人才行的,那么,人要好好的去愛(ài)人,便成為不受時(shí)間限制,時(shí)代不同而還是一樣有用的思想了。
三、既然肯定不只是東方地域的人,縱令是西方地域的人要有幸福、溫馨的生活,也是要有愛(ài)來(lái)營(yíng)造,要人能愛(ài)人才行的,那么,人要好好的去愛(ài)人,便也成為不受空間限制,地域不同而還是一樣有用的思想了。
孟子極力激勵(lì)人要大發(fā)惻隱之心,做仁愛(ài)的行為,表現(xiàn)成有人格的人,以便能構(gòu)成一個(gè)真正是“人”的社會(huì)。
我們又試想想看,孟子的這種思想——人要有人格,能惻隱、能仁愛(ài),構(gòu)成真是“人”的社會(huì)——不也是有價(jià)值的、有用的嗎？不也是不只在古代,縱令在現(xiàn)代,要人有人格,要構(gòu)成真是“人”的社會(huì),也須要有而一樣是有價(jià)值的,有用的嗎？
不也是不只對(duì)東方地域的人,縱令是對(duì)西方地域的人,要人有人格,要構(gòu)成真是“人”的社會(huì),也須要有而一樣是有價(jià)值的、有用的嗎？
所以,這些問(wèn)題的答案,也都是在肯定孟子的這種思想是“有用”的。它是不受時(shí)、空的限制,是不論古今、不分東西的有用于任何時(shí)、空的。
孔子和孟子的很多思想要點(diǎn),大抵就都是這樣的極具不朽的價(jià)值而永恒有用的。
如今,人類的新世紀(jì)雖然來(lái)臨了,然而,人如果還要追求真正是“人”的生活、是“人”的社會(huì)的確實(shí)獲致與享有,則孔、孟的思想恐怕仍無(wú)例外,還是繼續(xù)有用的罷！