An Explanation Of Wang Chuanshan’s Moral Philosophy

The issue of moral agency is one of the hot topics of discussion in virtue ethics today,and it has developed a clear direction in the abstract reflective approach to modern moral life.How the self,as the bearer of morality and the source of motivation,can effectively carry out the practice of ethical life is the central concern of this reflection.The abstraction of the rational moral agent was once thought to be the fundamental cause of the schizophrenia of modern moral philosophy,which was unable to establish a real connection between moral norms and real actions.In the view of contemporary Western ethicists,represented by Bernard Williams,it is the abstract logic of reason that limits the moral agency of the self.Therefore,they have turned to a realistic moral philosophy based on "integrity" and "ethical life".The exploration of the moral agency of the self is also the inner theme of Wang Chuanshan’s moral philosophy.Chuanshan was a very transformative philosopher in the late Ming dynasties,and promoted the reform and renewal of traditional ethical concepts.He criticized the shortcomings of the a priori self-understanding of human nature in the Song and Ming dynasties,and considered it an important reason for people’s alienation from real ethical life,so he proposed that "I am the master of virtue and the holder of human nature",and understood the self as a realistic nature-becoming agent.Chuanshan’s view of the realistic self is the theoretical cornerstone for understanding moral agency,and is of great significance for reflecting on the parochialism of self agency since the Song and Ming dynasties.The notion of becoming of human nature that Chuanshan’s adheres to is the root of humanism that keeps the realistic self continuously open,and provides an intrinsic theoretical basis for understanding the moral agency of the self.The becoming of human nature is accompanied by the specific unfolding process of the self’s life,which requires people to take the initiative to follow the goodness of heaven and become their own nature with their agency,and to follow their feelings and hold their will to show the continuous encouragement of the self towards goodness,so as to establish a realistic and active moral self.This kind of continuous openness and dynamic generation shows a more thorough emancipation of the moral agency of the self.In Chuanshan’s new interpretation of the relationship between knowledge and action,the realistic and becoming nature of the self achieves active participation in ethical life.Compared with the Song and Ming scholars who mostly relied on the profundity of "knowledge" for "action" in the relationship between knowledge and action,Chuanshan pays more attention to the important role of experience in the moral judgment and cognition of the moral agent,and emphasizes the moral judgment and cognitive mode of the moral agent based on experience rather than a priori.Chuanshan clearly points out that "action" is the external behavior and "knowledge" is the internal cognition,and then puts forward the view that "knowledge and action are used together",which avoids the possibility that the theory of "knowledge and action" only in terms of internal intention may lack of motivation for action.Chuanshan’s attention to the category of "Neng and Suo" provides a dynamic cognitive structurefor the self’s understanding of ethical and moral norms,i.e.,the dynamic understanding of moral norms is formed through the interaction between the self’s benevolent knowledge and the external situation of rituals(Neng and Suo).This provides a theoretical basis for the moral cognition and moral action of the self.The moral agency of the self in Wang Funshan’s moral philosophy differ from classical voluntarism’s direct emphasis on the the spirit,also differ from modern ethics’ cumbersome arguments for moral reasons and agent’s subjective motivation.The lively sense of agency in Chuanshan’s moral philosophy begins with his understanding of the becoming of human nature,which requires the self to always maintain a state of openness,to take the initiative in situations to follow the feelings for good,and from there to constantly the nurturing of human nature,to "be benevolent by oneself" and to continuously realize self-perfection.Of course,due to the limitations of his time,Chuanshan’s understanding of the self has not yet reached the theoretical height of contemporary ethics,but his understanding of the realistic moral self in the theory of human nature and his new debate on the relationship between knowledge and action have promoted the transformation of traditional ethical concepts,and laid the foundation for the enlightenment of modern Chinese ethical thought.At the same time,it also provides a new way of moral agency in contemporary ethics.