君子致權－陽明晚年政治思想新探

Abstract

余英時先生在《宋明理學與政治文化》一書對王陽明的「龍場之悟」做出新詮釋，判定陽明在龍場之悟後，思想上有從「得君行道」到「覺民行道」的轉向，此「覺民行道」說的提出，對中國近世思想史的研究堪稱新典範。然而轉向「覺民行道」，並非表示陽明就真的「完全撇開君主與朝廷」，徹底放棄傳統「由上而下」的政治運作。本文發現晚年的陽明仍多方從事政治活動。尤其明世宗初登基史稱「嘉靖新政」。新朝氣象，讓晚年的陽明對世宗朝政局仍有期待。陽明不僅沒有對朝廷上層政治死心，進而提出了「操天下之權，然後能濟天下之患」的「君子致權」思想，發揮影響。使晚年的陽明雖然終究未能順利入閣成為大學士，卻仍透過與宰輔、門人弟子間的相知相得，持續影響著世宗朝的政治。

In Studies in Song-Ming Lixue and Political Culture, Yu Ying-shih showed that after Wang Yangming`s Enlightenment at Longchang, he despaired at the idea of ＂winning the favor of the emperor to do one`s work,＂ such that he ＂utterly turned away from the emperor and the imperial court, and turned to the populace,＂ and resorted to ＂enlighten the people to do one`s work.＂ Yu`s work greatly contributed to the study of early modern Chinese thought. Nevertheless, ＂winning the favor of the emperor＂ and ＂enlightening the people＂ do not necessarily conflict. In particular, Yangming had new hopes when Emperor Shizong administered his reformation. What`s different is that having experienced the turmoil of political life, Yangming`s understanding of ＂winning the favor of the emperor to do one`s work＂ has departed from the Neo-Confucians of the two Song Dynasties, such that he came up with the idea of ＂winning the favor of the emperor to do one`s work,＂ which is an expression of his idea of ＂offering power to the Junzi.＂ Through interactions with governmental companions and his students, these ideas greatly influenced the political regime of Shizong. Henceforth, Yangming`s school was able to ＂have students all over the earth for hundreds of years,＂ because of the fruits of ＂enlightening the people＂ and ＂offering power to the Junzi.＂