朱熹"修德为本"思想探源：思想渊源、历史逻辑与当代关怀

Zhu Xi's Thought of "Cultivating Virtue Is the Foundation of Moral Cultivation": Exploring Its Intellectual Origins, Historical Logic, and Contemporary Relevance

在儒家思想史上，朱熹是继孔子之后，全面总结先秦以来儒学发展、并构建起一套严密理论体系的思想巨匠；由他集大成的程朱理学，不仅主导了南宋之后中国传统社会的意识形态，也深刻塑造了中国人延续至今的伦理观念与精神气质。“修德为本” 是朱子德性伦理体系的核心命题 —— 上承《大学》“自天子以至于庶人，壹是皆以修身为本” 的修学纲领，下迨其对道德修养路径、次第、方法的系统阐发，构成了朱熹论述个人自我完善、人际和谐，乃至社会治理、世界秩序的基本逻辑起点。

In the history of Confucian thought, Zhu Xi stands as a great synthesizer after Confucius, comprehensively summarizing the development of Confucianism since the pre-Qin era and constructing a rigorous theoretical system. The Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucian school he epitomized not only dominated the ideology of traditional Chinese society after the Southern Song dynasty but also profoundly shaped the ethical concepts and spiritual temperament of the Chinese people that persist to this day. "Cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" represents the core proposition of Zhu Xi's virtue ethics system. It inherits the guiding principle of self-cultivation from the Great Learning—"From the Son of Heaven down to the common people, all must regard self-cultivation as the root"—and extends into his systematic exposition of the paths, sequence, and methods of moral cultivation. It constitutes the fundamental logical starting point for Zhu Xi's discourse on individual self-perfection, interpersonal harmony, and even social governance and world order.

朱熹对 “修德” 的极端重视，并非单纯的理论建构，而是源于对思想脉络的接续与现实的双重审视。在理论端，他认为三代以下，圣贤道统失传，学术沉沦，亟需通过复兴儒家原典，重塑正确的为学与修身方向；在现实端，他所处的南宋社会，偏安一隅，朝野上下困于安逸，学风空疏、士风颓靡，道德修养被片面化理解或束之高阁 —— 在他眼中，这一切社会与思想困境的根源，正在于人们偏离了 “修德” 这一根本支柱。

Zhu Xi's extreme emphasis on "cultivating virtue" was not a purely theoretical construct but stemmed from a dual examination of intellectual continuity and reality. On the theoretical side, he believed that since the Three Dynasties, the true transmission of the sage's teachings had been lost, and scholarship had sunk into decline, urgently requiring the restoration of original Confucian texts to reshape the correct direction of learning and self-cultivation. On the practical side, the Southern Song society he inhabited was confined to a corner of the realm, with both court and populace mired in complacency. Scholarship was hollow, and the literati's morale was degenerate, with moral cultivation either understood one-sidedly or shelved entirely. In his view, the root cause of all these social and intellectual predicaments lay in people's deviation from the fundamental pillar of "cultivating virtue."

从学术传承的角度看，朱熹的 “修德为本” 思想，是对二程（程颢、程颐）德性涵养学说的继承与发展。二程以 “天理” 为核心重建儒家道德的形而上学基础，把儒家伦理上升为宇宙间的绝对真理，程颐进一步提出 “涵养须用敬，进学则在致知” 的双线修养路径；朱熹则将这一未完成的理论构想整合为一套 “居敬穷理”、内外交修的完整实践体系，把 “修德” 从一个抽象的伦理要求，转化为涵盖小学洒扫应对、大学格物致知，直至齐家治国平天下的系统性实践框架。

From the perspective of academic inheritance, Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" is a continuation and development of the moral cultivation theories of the Cheng brothers (Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi). The Cheng brothers took "Heavenly Principle" as the core to rebuild the metaphysical foundation of Confucian morality, elevating Confucian ethics to an absolute truth in the cosmos. Cheng Yi further proposed the dual cultivation path of "cultivation requires holding to reverence; the advancement of learning lies in the extension of knowledge." Zhu Xi integrated this unfinished theoretical vision into a complete practical system of "abiding in reverence and exhausting principle" and interpenetrating inner and outer cultivation. He transformed "cultivating virtue" from an abstract ethical requirement into a systematic practical framework encompassing everything from elementary learning about sprinkling, sweeping, responding, and advancing and retiring to the higher learning of investigating things, extending knowledge, and ultimately regulating families, governing states, and bringing peace to the world.

在现代社会，价值多元、技术变革，道德教育面临着前所未有的复杂挑战：知识传授与品德培养的失衡、个体发展与集体伦理的疏离、虚拟空间与现实人格的割裂…… 在这一背景下，重新审视朱熹 “修德为本” 的思想内核，厘清其历史逻辑与理论架构，不是简单回归传统道德教条，而是要借助这套成熟的古代思想资源，回应现代社会面临的道德困境，探索传统德性伦理与现代教育、治理理念融合的合理路径。

In modern society, characterized by value pluralism and technological transformation, moral education faces unprecedented and complex challenges: the imbalance between knowledge transmission and character cultivation, the estrangement between individual development and collective ethics, and the fragmentation between virtual space and real personality. Against this backdrop, re-examining the core of Zhu Xi's thought on "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" and clarifying its historical logic and theoretical structure is not a simplistic return to traditional moral dogma. Rather, it is about leveraging this mature, ancient intellectual resource to respond to the moral dilemmas confronting modern society and exploring reasonable paths for integrating traditional virtue ethics with modern education and governance concepts.

1. 思想渊源：对二程德性涵养理论的继承与发展

1. Intellectual Origins: Inheritance and Development of the Cheng Brothers' Theory of Moral Cultivation

任何有深度的思想建构，都离不开对先前思想资源的吸收与转化；朱熹的 “修德为本” 命题，正是在继承二程理学核心资源的基础上，逐步深化、体系化的理论成果。二程兄弟作为北宋理学的开创者，首次将 “天理” 确立为儒家道德的终极依据，搭建了儒家特有的内在超越式精神世界架构，为儒学提供了足以与佛老思想抗衡的理论深度；而朱熹则以二程的理论地基为起点，将他们关于德性涵养的零散论述，整合为一套本末有序、内外交修的完整 “修德” 理论体系。

Any profound intellectual construction cannot be divorced from the absorption and transformation of prior intellectual resources. Zhu Xi's proposition of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" is precisely a theoretical achievement that deepened and systematized step by step, grounded in the core resources of the Cheng brothers' Neo-Confucianism. As pioneers of Northern Song Neo-Confucianism, the Cheng brothers were the first to establish "Heavenly Principle" as the ultimate basis for Confucian morality, constructing a uniquely Confucian framework of inner transcendence for the spiritual world and providing Confucianism with sufficient theoretical depth to rival Buddhist and Daoist thought. Zhu Xi, using the theoretical groundwork of the Cheng brothers as his starting point, integrated their scattered discourses on moral cultivation into a complete, orderly, and interpenetrating theoretical system of "cultivating virtue" that covered both inner and outer aspects.

这一继承与发展的过程，并非简单的理论延续，而是包含着明确的问题意识与针对性建构。二程已将 “天理” 这一至高价值，贯通于人的心性、行为与社会伦理规范 —— 这意味着，道德修养不再是单纯的外在行为约束，而是回归人所本有的 “天理” 之性，实现人之为人的价值根本；朱熹则进一步将这一形而上的逻辑，落地为明确的、可次第践行的修养路径，把 “修德” 确立为整个理学工夫论的核心基准。

This process of inheritance and development was not a simple theoretical continuation; it contained a clear awareness of the problems and a targeted construction. The Cheng brothers had already connected the supreme value of "Heavenly Principle" with human mind-and-nature, behavior, and social ethical norms. This meant that moral cultivation was no longer merely an external behavioral constraint but a return to the inherent nature of Heavenly Principle within human beings, realizing the fundamental value of being human. Zhu Xi further grounded this metaphysical logic into a clear, sequentially practicable path of cultivation, establishing "cultivating virtue" as the core benchmark of the entire Neo-Confucian theory of practice.

具体而言，朱熹对二程思想的传承与理论推进，集中体现在三个维度：

其一，在理论根基上，以程颐的 “涵养须用敬，进学则在致知” 为核心工夫框架，将二程不同方向的理论发展整合成双线并行的完整修养路径。二程兄弟的思想本存在细微但关键的差异：程颢侧重内心的道德觉悟，主张 “识仁”“定性”，强调对天理的直觉体悟，这一思路后来启发了陆王心学；程颐则侧重外在的 “居敬” 与 “穷理” 并举，强调严肃的自我存养与主动的对外在事物规律的探求，这是朱熹理学的直接思想源头。朱熹三十九岁时编成《程氏遗书》，系统总结二程的思想遗产，将他们的核心主张概括为 “涵养须用敬，进学则在致知”—— 这一论断被他奉为学者立身进步的核心原则，也成为其 “修德为本” 思想的重要理论源头。

Specifically, Zhu Xi's inheritance and theoretical advancement of the Cheng brothers' thought are concentrated in three dimensions:

First, in terms of theoretical foundation, he took Cheng Yi's core practical framework of "Cultivation requires holding to reverence; the advancement of learning lies in the extension of knowledge" and integrated the differently directed theoretical developments of the two brothers into a complete dual-path cultivation approach. The thoughts of the Cheng brothers inherently possessed subtle but crucial differences: Cheng Hao emphasized inner moral enlightenment, advocating "recognizing benevolence" and "calming the nature," stressing intuitive apprehension of Heavenly Principle—an approach that later inspired the Lu-Wang School of Mind. Cheng Yi, by contrast, emphasized the simultaneous external practices of "abiding in reverence" and "exhausting principle," stressing serious self-preservation and active inquiry into the principles of external things, which became the direct intellectual source of Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism. At the age of thirty-nine, Zhu Xi compiled the Posthumous Writings of the Cheng Brothers, systematically summarizing their intellectual legacy and distilling their core proposition into "Cultivation requires holding to reverence; the advancement of learning lies in the extension of knowledge." This dictum was upheld by him as the core principle for a scholar's self-establishment and progress, becoming a crucial theoretical source for his thought on "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation."

其二，在理论深化上，朱熹将二程的 “敬”“致知” 等工夫，从零散的修养方法，整合为 “居敬穷理”、内外交互支撑的完整修德体系。二程首次将 “主一无适” 明确为 “敬” 的核心定义，强调精神的专一集中；朱熹则进一步将 “敬” 从一种单纯的精神状态，细化为贯穿修养全过程的独立工夫维度：它既是内在的 “收敛身心”“主一无适”，即时刻保持对天理的自觉坚守，不被私欲牵引；也是外在的 “整齐严肃”，即通过仪表、行为的规范，来稳固内在的道德状态。更关键的是，朱熹将 “居敬” 与 “穷理” 深度绑定：“敬” 是贯穿 “穷理” 全过程的内在精神前提 —— 只有保持专一、敬畏的心态，才能真正在探究事物之理的过程中，实现德性的涵养；反之，“穷理”厘清伦理的边界，为修身提供了认知锚点。这种整合将二程提出的零散修身方法，转化为一条系统且可行的实践路径。

Second, in terms of theoretical deepening, Zhu Xi integrated the Cheng brothers' practices of "reverence" and "extending knowledge" from scattered cultivation methods into a complete system of "abiding in reverence and exhausting principle," where inner and outer aspects interact and support each other. The Cheng brothers were the first to explicitly define "concentrating on one thing and not departing from it" as the core meaning of "reverence," emphasizing mental single-mindedness. Zhu Xi further refined "reverence" from a mere mental state into an independent dimension of practice that permeated the entire cultivation process. It was both an inner practice of "gathering in the body and mind" and "concentrating on one thing," i.e., constantly maintaining a conscious hold on Heavenly Principle, unswayed by selfish desires, and an outer practice of "orderliness and seriousness," i.e., stabilizing the inner moral state through proper demeanor and behavior. More crucially, Zhu Xi deeply integrated "abiding in reverence" with "exhausting principle": "reverence" was the inner spiritual prerequisite for the entire process of "exhausting principle"—only by maintaining a mindset of single-mindedness and awe could one truly cultivate virtue while investigating the principles of things. Conversely, "exhausting principle" clarified the boundaries of ethics, providing a cognitive anchor for self-cultivation. This integration transformed the scattered self-cultivation methods proposed by the Cheng brothers into a systematic and feasible practical path.

其三，在理论建构的现实指向上，朱熹突出了 “修德” 的根本性地位。二程虽重视道德修养，但更多是从 “识仁”“穷理” 的角度展开论述，并未明确将修德确立为整个儒学体系的核心基础；而朱熹则直面南宋学风的现实弊病，将二程的工夫论主张，与《大学》的 “修身为本” 纲领直接衔接，首次将 “修德” 明确为从为学、做事到治国的根本前提。他在《白鹿洞书院揭示》中开宗明义，直接点明古代圣贤教人为学的根本目的，不是积累知识、获取功名利禄，而是 “讲明义理，以修其身”—— 这一论断，正式将修德确立为儒家教育的核心目标，也奠定了其整个德性伦理体系的价值基调。

Third, in terms of the realistic orientation of his theoretical construction, Zhu Xi highlighted the fundamental status of "cultivating virtue." Although the Cheng brothers valued moral cultivation, they mostly elaborated from the perspectives of "recognizing benevolence" and "exhausting principle," without explicitly establishing cultivating virtue as the core foundation of the entire Confucian system. Zhu Xi, confronting the real ills of Southern Song scholarship, directly connected the Cheng brothers' practical propositions with the guiding principle of "self-cultivation as the root" from the Great Learning. For the first time, he explicitly defined "cultivating virtue" as the fundamental prerequisite for everything from learning and conducting affairs to governing the state. In the Articles of the White Deer Grotto Academy, he stated clearly from the outset that the fundamental purpose for which ancient sages taught people to learn was not to accumulate knowledge or pursue fame and profit but "to clarify moral principles in order to cultivate oneself." This declaration formally established cultivating virtue as the core goal of Confucian education and set the value tone for his entire virtue ethics system.

从思想发展的逻辑来看，朱熹对二程思想的继承，并非无批判的全盘接受，而是基于时代思想语境的创造性重构。二程的洛学，只是搭建了理学的基本框架，提出了核心的工夫论方向；而朱熹不仅通过 “理一分殊” 等理论，完善了理学的形而上体系，将 “天理” 与 “修德” 的逻辑关联阐释得更加透彻，更将二程之后略显零散的理学修养方法，整合成一套由内而外、本末贯通的完整修德实践体系。这一理论推进，既接续了北宋以来的理学发展传统，更将儒学的关注重心，从抽象的形而上思辨拉回现实的道德实践层面，为后续矫正学风流弊、重构完整的成德之教，埋下了理论伏笔。

From the perspective of intellectual development logic, Zhu Xi's inheritance of the Cheng brothers' thought was not an uncritical, wholesale acceptance but a creative reconstruction based on the intellectual context of his era. The Cheng brothers' Luo School merely established the basic framework of Neo-Confucianism and proposed core directions for the theory of practice. Zhu Xi not only perfected the metaphysical system of Neo-Confucianism through theories like "principle is one, but its manifestations are many," elucidating more thoroughly the logical connection between "Heavenly Principle" and "cultivating virtue," but also integrated the somewhat scattered cultivation methods left by the Cheng brothers into a complete practical system for cultivating virtue that penetrated from inner to outer and from root to branch. This theoretical advancement both continued the Neo-Confucian development tradition since the Northern Song and, more importantly, redirected the focus of Confucianism from abstract metaphysical speculation back to the level of concrete moral practice, setting the theoretical stage for subsequently correcting the malaise in scholarship and reconstructing the complete teaching of character formation.

2. 历史背景：对南宋学风与士风的现实批判

2. Historical Background: A Realistic Critique of Southern Song Scholarship and Literati Mores

思想的诞生从来不是纯粹的逻辑推演，而是思想家对其所面临的时代困境的直接回应。朱熹将 “修德为本” 标举为儒家思想的核心命题，一个重要动因，是对南宋社会思想界现实弊病的深刻反思 —— 他目睹当时的学术界与士人群体，普遍陷入两种相互关联的偏差：其一是受佛老思想影响，片面追求抽象的内心觉悟，空谈心性，完全脱离现实的人伦实践；其二是把为学等同于记诵辞章、雕琢文句，以追求功名利禄为目标，完全忽视自身的道德涵养。在朱熹看来，这两种倾向都会导致人们偏离儒家 “为己之学” 的根本正途，最终造成整个社会的价值崩坏、风俗颓靡。

The birth of ideas is never a purely logical deduction but a direct response by the thinker to the dilemmas of their era. A key motivation for Zhu Xi to elevate "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" as the core proposition of Confucian thought was his profound reflection on the real maladies of the intellectual world of Southern Song society. He witnessed that contemporary academia and the literati class were generally mired in two interrelated deviations. The first, influenced by Buddhist and Daoist thought, was the one-sided pursuit of abstract inner enlightenment, indulging in empty discussions of mind-and-nature, completely detached from concrete human ethical practice. The second was equating learning with memorizing phrases and polishing literary style, aiming for official rank and salary, completely neglecting one's own moral cultivation. In Zhu Xi's view, both tendencies led people away from the true path of Confucian "learning for oneself," ultimately causing the collapse of societal values and the degeneration of customs.

在朱熹的观察中，当时的学风存在着严重的 “二本” 颠倒问题：整个社会的为学方向，完全偏离了圣贤之学的本意 —— 学者们不是致力于涵养自身的德行、践行人伦实践，而是沉迷于两类偏离根本的 “末事”：或是空谈性命天理的抽象理论，说一些玄远高深、却无切实用处的道理；或是一味沉溺于琐碎的辞章训诂、华丽的文采雕琢，将为学视作获取功名利禄的工具。更让他痛心的是，还有一批受佛老思想影响的学者，将 “读书穷理” 视作阻碍心灵觉悟的负累，干脆完全放弃知识学习和道德实践，片面追求所谓的 “内心觉悟”，却完全脱离了现实的人伦日常。在朱熹看来，这种 “本乱而末治” 的颠倒，正是造成士风衰退、社会价值崩解的核心原因。

In Zhu Xi's observation, the scholarship of his time suffered from a serious inversion of the "root" and the "branch." The entire direction of learning in society had completely deviated from the original intent of sage learning. Scholars were not dedicated to cultivating their own virtue and practicing human relations but were instead absorbed in two types of "branch" activities that diverged from the root: either indulging in empty discussions of the abstract theories of human nature and Heavenly Principle, speaking lofty and profound yet practically useless truths, or being wholly immersed in trivial textual exegesis and ornate literary embellishments, regarding learning merely as a tool for acquiring fame and status. What pained him even more was that a cohort of scholars influenced by Buddhism and Daoism considered "reading and exhausting principle" a hindrance to spiritual enlightenment, entirely abandoning intellectual learning and moral practice in a one-sided pursuit of so-called "inner enlightenment" while being completely detached from the realities of daily human relations. In Zhu Xi's view, this inversion where "the root is in disorder yet the branches are expected to be ordered" was the core reason for the decline in literati morale and the disintegration of social values.

与这种病态的学风相伴而生的，是士风的持续衰颓 —— 在朱熹的描述中，当时的士人阶层，也就是社会的精英群体，普遍将功名利禄视为人生的核心追求，将道德修养视作无用的负累；即使是那些谈论道德、探究天理的学者，也往往将其当作获取名声、标榜自我的工具，并非出于内心的真实认同。整个社会的价值体系被严重扭曲，群体的道德意识陷入空前的混乱与麻木。

Accompanying this pathological scholarship was the continuous degeneration of literati mores. In Zhu Xi's description, the literati class of his time, the societal elite, generally regarded the pursuit of profit and rank as the core goal of life, viewing moral cultivation as a useless burden. Even those who discussed morality and explored Heavenly Principle often did so as a tool for gaining fame and self-aggrandizement, not out of genuine inner conviction. The entire value system of society was severely distorted, and the collective moral consciousness had fallen into unprecedented chaos and numbness.

在朱熹的逻辑里，学风流弊与士风颓靡，二者并非线性的因果关系，而是相互强化、双向作用的闭环：学风的空疏或功利，会直接塑造出缺乏道德根基的士人；而士人的功利化、世俗化，又会反过来进一步强化不健康的学风。要打破这个恶性质环，仅靠局部的学风调整或道德说教无济于事，必须在理论和实践的源头，重新确立正确的价值基准 —— 于是，“修德为本” 便作为根本性的对治之策被提出，这是基于对现实弊病的深刻洞察而开出的救世良方。

In Zhu Xi's logic, the malaise of scholarship and the degeneracy of literati mores were not a linear causal relationship but a mutually reinforcing, bidirectional closed loop. Hollow or utilitarian scholarship would directly shape literati lacking moral grounding, and the utilitarianization and vulgarization of the literati would in turn further reinforce the unhealthy academic culture. To break this vicious cycle, merely partial adjustments to scholarship or moral exhortation would be ineffective. It was necessary to re-establish a correct value benchmark at the very source of both theory and practice. Thus, "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" was proposed as the fundamental remedy, a prescription for societal salvation born from a profound insight into the real maladies.

从思想发展的脉络来看，朱熹的这一主张，既承接了儒家传统中 “德”为根本的治世理念，也是对二程思想的进一步推进：二程虽提出 “敬” 与 “致知” 的双线修养路径，但尚未对治当时整个学界的空疏弊病；朱熹则将 “修德” 明确为 “敬” 与 “致知” 的核心目标和根本依托，主张通过 “主敬”“穷理” 的双向工夫，实现对天理的真切体认，将其落实到日常的人伦实践之中，从而在根源上矫正空疏或功利化的为学方向，将学风、士风拉回儒家的 “为己之学” 正轨。

Looking at the lineage of intellectual development, this proposition of Zhu Xi not only inherited the Confucian traditional concept of "virtue" as the foundation of statecraft but also represented a further advancement of the Cheng brothers' thought. Although the Cheng brothers proposed the dual cultivation path of "reverence" and "extension of knowledge," they had not yet specifically addressed the pervasive hollowness of contemporary academia. Zhu Xi explicitly designated "cultivating virtue" as the core goal and fundamental support of "reverence" and "extension of knowledge." He advocated for achieving a genuine apprehension of Heavenly Principle through the dual practices of "holding to reverence" and "exhausting principle," grounding it in daily human ethical practice, thereby fundamentally correcting the hollow or utilitarian direction of learning and pulling scholarship and literati mores back onto the correct track of Confucian "learning for oneself."

基于这一现实目标，朱熹将 “修德为本” 的命题，直接转化为可落地的教育实践纲领。在《白鹿洞书院揭示》中，他明确将 “讲明义理，以修其身” 规定为教育的根本目的，将修身之要、处事之要、接物之要，确立为学子的基本遵循；他还重新整理编排儒家经典，将《大学》从《礼记》中独立出来，列为 “四书” 之首，通过《大学章句》，将 “格物、致知、诚意、正心、修身、齐家、治国、平天下” 的完整修养次序，标定为学子践行修德的核心路径。这一系列举措，本质是在教育实践层面，重新确立 “修德” 的优先性，从根本上扭转读书为做官、治学为名利的错误价值导向。

Based on this realistic objective, Zhu Xi directly transformed the proposition of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" into an implementable educational practice program. In the Articles of the White Deer Grotto Academy, he explicitly defined "clarifying moral principles in order to cultivate oneself" as the fundamental purpose of education and established the essentials of self-cultivation, handling affairs, and engaging with others as the basic guidelines for students. He also reorganized and edited the Confucian classics, separating the Great Learning from the Book of Rites and listing it as the first of the "Four Books." Through his Commentary on the Great Learning, he set the complete cultivation sequence of "investigating things, extending knowledge, making the will sincere, rectifying the mind, cultivating oneself, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world" as the core path for students to practice cultivating virtue. This series of measures was essentially aimed at re-establishing the priority of "cultivating virtue" at the level of educational practice, fundamentally reversing the misguided value orientation that learning was for officialdom and scholarship was for fame.

可以说，朱熹对 “修德” 的极端强调，有着鲜明的现实指涉性：所谓 “本乱而末治者否矣”，正是他对时代病症的精准诊断 —— 在他看来，道德修养是学术探究和事业建功的根本依托；离开这个根本，无论是知识的积累、文章的雕琢，还是事功的建立，都只会坠入偏邪之途，甚至反过来助长恶行、放大弊端。他提出 “修德为本”，绝非单纯的理论创新，而是要重建儒家的成德之教，为当时的学术界、士人群体找到真正的 “入德之门”，重塑社会的价值体系，实现人心的归正与社会的治理。

It can be said that Zhu Xi's extreme emphasis on "cultivating virtue" possessed a distinctly realistic referential quality. The phrase "When the root is in disorder, it is impossible for the branches to be ordered" was precisely his accurate diagnosis of the era's malady. In his view, moral cultivation is the fundamental support for academic inquiry and career achievements. Apart from this root, whether it be the accumulation of knowledge, the polishing of literary style, or the establishment of practical achievements, all would merely fall into deviant paths or even amplify vices and magnify problems. His proposition of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" was by no means a purely theoretical innovation. It was about rebuilding the Confucian teaching of character formation, finding the true "Gateway to the Virtue Realm of Sagehood" for the academic and literati community of his time, reshaping the value system of society, and realizing the rectification of hearts and minds and the ordering of society.

3. 理论架构：“修德为本” 在儒家成德之教中的核心定位

3. Theoretical Architecture: The Core Position of "Cultivating Virtue Is the Foundation of Moral Cultivation" in the Confucian Teaching of Character Formation

“修德为本” 并非朱熹随意提出的孤立论断，而是他接续先秦儒家 “为己之学” 的根本宗旨、重新阐释《大学》“三纲领八条目” 核心逻辑的理论结果 —— 这一命题，清晰地指明了道德修养在儒家整个成德实践体系中的基础性、根本性地位，是理解儒家 “修己以安人”“内圣外王” 理想人格实现机制的关键线索。

"Cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" is not an isolated proposition casually advanced by Zhu Xi. It is the theoretical result of his continuation of the fundamental aim of pre-Qin Confucian "learning for oneself" and his reinterpretation of the core logic of the "three guiding principles and eight items" in the Great Learning. This proposition clearly points out the foundational and fundamental status of moral cultivation within the entire Confucian practical system of character formation. It serves as the key clue for understanding the realization mechanism of the Confucian ideal personality of "cultivating oneself to bring peace to others" and "inner sage, outer king."

儒家的成德之教，其核心目标是实现道德人格的完善，培养出 “明明德、亲民、止于至善” 的理想人格 —— 这一目标，从先秦的孔孟，到北宋的周敦颐、二程，代代相传，是儒家区别于其他思想流派的核心标识。而朱熹通过重新阐释《大学》的内在逻辑，将这一抽象的人格理想，转化为次序分明、可逐层践行的完整实践路径，明确了 “修德” 作为基础项的根本性地位：“修德” 是实现 “明明德” 的根本前提，是 “格物致知” 的价值归宿，也是从内在道德完善，到外在社会价值实现的转捩点。这一架构是对儒家成德之教的重要理论发展，赋予了传统道德修养论更加严密的逻辑和切实的可行性。

The core goal of the Confucian teaching of character formation is to achieve the perfection of moral personality, to cultivate an ideal personality that "manifests bright virtue, renews the people, and abides in the highest good." This goal was transmitted from generation to generation, from Confucius and Mencius in the pre-Qin era to Zhou Dunyi and the Cheng brothers in the Northern Song, serving as the core hallmark distinguishing Confucianism from other schools of thought. By reinterpreting the inner logic of the Great Learning, Zhu Xi transformed this abstract personality ideal into a clear, sequentially layered, and complete practical path, firmly establishing the fundamental status of "cultivating virtue" as the base: "cultivating virtue" is the fundamental prerequisite for "manifesting bright virtue," the value destination of "investigating things and extending knowledge," and the pivotal point from inner moral perfection to the realization of outer social value. This framework represents a significant theoretical development in the Confucian teaching of character formation, endowing traditional moral cultivation theories with stricter logic and practical feasibility.

3.1 修德与《大学》“三纲领八条目” 的逻辑关系

3.1 The Logical Relationship between Cultivating Virtue and the "Three Guiding Principles and Eight Items" of the Great Learning

朱熹的 “修德为本” 思想，其经典依据完全出自《礼记》中的《大学》篇 —— 这篇不长的儒家文献，经过二程的推崇和朱熹的重新整理、注释，成为南宋之后儒家思想的纲领性文献；其中 “三纲领八条目” 所揭示的道德修养逻辑，被朱熹视作整个儒学 “修己治人” 的根本规模。在《大学章句》中，朱熹将《大学》的核心思想，概括为 “三纲领” 与 “八条目”——“三纲领” 是 “明明德”“亲民”“止于至善”，这是道德修养的终极目标；“八条目” 则是实现这一目标的八个具体步骤，即格物、致知、诚意、正心、修身、齐家、治国、平天下。

The classical basis for Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" lies entirely in the chapter "Great Learning" from the Book of Rites. This brief Confucian text, through the veneration of the Cheng brothers and Zhu Xi's reordering and commentary, became the programmatic document of Confucian thought after the Southern Song dynasty. The moral cultivation logic revealed in its "three guiding principles and eight items" was regarded by Zhu Xi as the fundamental framework for the entire Confucian enterprise of "cultivating oneself and governing others." In his Commentary on the Great Learning, Zhu Xi summarized the core thought of the Great Learning into the "three guiding principles"—manifesting bright virtue, renewing the people, and abiding in the highest good—which are the ultimate goals of moral cultivation, and the "eight items"—investigating things, extending knowledge, making the will sincere, rectifying the mind, cultivating oneself, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world—which are the eight concrete steps to achieve these goals.

在朱熹看来，“三纲领” 是道德修养的终极价值引领，而 “八条目” 则是实现这一目标的逐层实践路径；二者并非平行关系，而是目标与手段、本体与工夫的高度统一。他进一步将 “八条目” 分为内外两个层面：格物、致知、诚意、正心、修身，属于 “明明德” 的内圣工夫，聚焦于个体的内在德性涵养；齐家、治国、平天下，属于 “亲民” 的外王事业，是内在德性在社会领域的拓展与外化。而 “修身”，也就是修德，则是连接内圣与外王、贯通道德理想与政治实践的核心枢纽：此前的格物、致知、诚意、正心，是为了充实 “修身” 的内在根基；此后的齐家、治国、平天下，则是 “修身” 的外在延伸与自然结果。

In Zhu Xi's view, the "three guiding principles" represent the ultimate value guidance of moral cultivation, while the "eight items" constitute the layered practical path to achieve this goal. They are not a parallel relationship but a high unity of ends and means, substance and practice. He further divided the "eight items" into two levels: inner and outer. Investigating things, extending knowledge, making the will sincere, rectifying the mind, and cultivating oneself belong to the inner sagely practice of "manifesting bright virtue," focusing on the individual's inner moral cultivation. Regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world belong to the outer kingly enterprise of "renewing the people," representing the expansion and externalization of inner virtue in the social sphere. And "cultivating oneself," that is, cultivating virtue, is the core pivot linking inner sagehood and outer kingship, connecting moral ideal with political practice. The prior steps of investigating things, extending knowledge, making the will sincere, and rectifying the mind serve to enrich the inner foundation of "self-cultivation," while the subsequent steps of regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world are the outward extension and natural result of "self-cultivation."

基于这一逻辑，朱熹进一步申明了 “修德” 的根本性地位：“修身以上，明明德之事也；齐家以下，新民之事也。” 意思是，从格物到修身，都是不断明晰、完善自身本有明德的过程；而从齐家到治国平天下，都是将这种内在的德性，推广、惠及他人的实践过程。在他看来，“明明德” 与 “新民” 并非两截，而是有着严格的先后次序与本末关系：只有先完成 “明明德” 的内圣工夫，将自身的德性修养完善，才能稳妥地进行 “新民” 的外王事业；如果这个根本没有确立，仅仅依靠外在的知识积累或制度设计，想要实现社会层面的成功实践，是绝无可能的。

Based on this logic, Zhu Xi further affirmed the fundamental status of "cultivating virtue": "What lies above self-cultivation pertains to the matter of manifesting bright virtue; what lies below regulating the family pertains to the matter of renewing the people." This means that from investigating things to cultivating oneself is the process of continuously clarifying and perfecting one's inherent bright virtue, while from regulating the family to bringing peace to the world is the practical process of extending and benefiting others with this inner virtue. In his view, "manifesting bright virtue" and "renewing the people" are not two separate endeavors but possess a strict sequence and root-branch relationship: only by first completing the inner sagely practice of "manifesting bright virtue," perfecting one's own moral cultivation, can one securely undertake the outer kingly enterprise of "renewing the people." If this root is not established, relying solely on external knowledge accumulation or institutional design to achieve success in social practice is absolutely impossible.

这一次序的不可颠倒性，正是《大学》反复强调的 “其本乱而末治者否矣” 的核心意涵 —— 朱熹将这一原则，从单纯的道德修养路径，上升为整个儒家 “修己以安人” 理想的底层逻辑。这也意味着，“修德” 不是一个阶段性的任务，而是贯穿《大学》所有条目的一根主线；无论对于帝王还是普通百姓，修身都是做人的根本前提，是实现一切社会价值的基础。

The unalterability of this sequence is precisely the core meaning of the repeated emphasis in the Great Learning that "when the root is in disorder, it is impossible for the branches to be ordered." Zhu Xi elevated this principle from a mere path of moral cultivation to the underlying logic of the entire Confucian ideal of "cultivating oneself to bring peace to others." This also implies that "cultivating virtue" is not a phased task but a single thread that runs through all the items of the Great Learning. Whether for the emperor or the common people, self-cultivation is the fundamental prerequisite for being human and the foundation for realizing all social values.

3.2 修德与 “格物致知”“诚意正心” 的工夫论关系

3.2 The Practical Relationship between Cultivating Virtue and "Investigating Things and Extending Knowledge" and "Making the Will Sincere and Rectifying the Mind"

在朱熹的德性修养体系中，“修德为本” 不是孤立的工夫，而是与 “格物致知”“诚意正心” 等具体修养工夫，形成了一种本末、体用、主次分明的动态结构。其中，“修德” 是统帅、是根本目标；而 “格物致知”“诚意正心” 则是支撑这一根本目标的具体实践路径 —— 二者相辅相成、交互支撑，共同构成了儒家 “内圣” 工夫的完整体系。

Within Zhu Xi's system of moral cultivation, "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" is not an isolated practice but forms a dynamic structure with specific cultivation practices like "investigating things and extending knowledge" and "making the will sincere and rectifying the mind," characterized by a clear distinction between root and branch, substance and function, primary and secondary. Here, "cultivating virtue" is the commander and the fundamental goal, while "investigating things and extending knowledge" and "making the will sincere and rectifying the mind" are the specific practical pathways that support this fundamental goal. They complement and interactively support each other, jointly constituting the complete system of Confucian "inner sagely" practice.

具体而言，“格物致知” 是修德的认知基础与入门路径。朱熹完全认同程颐 “今人学问，须是从头格物致知” 的观点，并在《大学章句》中专门补充了《大学》原文语焉不详的 “格物致知” 传义，将这一工夫界定为 “即物而穷其理”—— 即通过探究外在事物的规律，来领悟天理的整体内涵。在他的逻辑里，“天理” 不仅是宇宙万物的运行规律，更是人类社会的伦理道德法则；每一事物都有其存在的 “理”，而道德之理就存在于日常的人伦日用之中。只有通过 “格物”，逐一探究事物之理，才能让自己的认知逐渐明晰，最终实现对天理的 “豁然贯通”。这意味着，“格物致知” 的真正目的，不是探究客观事物的自然规律，而是领悟儒家的伦理准则，为修德提供坚实的认知支撑；离开这一认知基础，道德实践就会陷入盲目，无法真正把握伦理行为的规范原则。

Specifically, "investigating things and extending knowledge" serves as the cognitive basis and introductory path for cultivating virtue. Zhu Xi fully endorsed Cheng Yi's view that "in learning today, one must begin with investigating things and extending knowledge" and, in his Commentary on the Great Learning, supplemented the original text's scant explanation of "investigating things and extending knowledge" with his own commentary. He defined this practice as "exhaustively plumbing the principle by engaging with things"—that is, by exploring the principles of external things to comprehend the overall meaning of Heavenly Principle. In his logic, "Heavenly Principle" is not only the operating law of the cosmos but also the ethical and moral code of human society. Every thing possesses its inherent "principle," and the principles of morality exist within daily human relations and practical usage. Only through "investigating things," exploring the principles of things one by one, can one's cognition gradually become clear and ultimately achieve a "sudden, holistic comprehension" of Heavenly Principle. This means that the real purpose of "investigating things and extending knowledge" is not to explore the natural laws of objective things but to apprehend Confucian ethical norms, providing solid cognitive support for cultivating virtue. Without this cognitive foundation, moral practice would become blind, unable to truly grasp the normative principles of ethical conduct.

“诚意正心” 则是修德的内在心理保障，是连接 “格物致知” 与 “修身” 的关键转捩点。在朱熹看来，“格物致知” 属于知识的积累，是对事物之理的认知领悟；但拥有认知，并不必然保证落实为正确的道德行为 —— 要将外在的认知，转化为真实的德性修养，还需要经过 “诚意正心” 这一关键的内在心理净化环节。朱熹将 “诚意” 定义为 “实其心之所发”，要求人在意念发动之时，就能做到真实无妄，不自欺欺人，如同 “恶恶臭”“好好色” 一样，发自内心地认同善、厌恶恶；而 “正心” 则是用通过格物所领悟到的天理，来规范、约束自己的心思，避免被私欲、偏颇的情绪所牵引，让心始终处于中正、不偏不倚的状态。

"Making the will sincere and rectifying the mind" is the inner psychological safeguard for cultivating virtue and the critical pivot connecting "investigating things and extending knowledge" with "self-cultivation." In Zhu Xi's view, "investigating things and extending knowledge" belongs to the accumulation of knowledge, the cognitive apprehension of the principles of things. But possessing cognition does not guarantee its translation into correct moral behavior. To transform external cognition into genuine virtue cultivation, one must pass through the crucial inner psychological purification process of "making the will sincere and rectifying the mind." Zhu Xi defined "making the will sincere" as "making real that which arises from the heart-mind," requiring that at the moment a thought arises, one can be true and without falseness, neither deceiving oneself nor others, just as one naturally "hates a bad smell" or "loves a beautiful sight," identifying with the good and detesting evil from the heart. "Rectifying the mind" means using the Heavenly Principle apprehended through investigating things to discipline and restrain one's own thoughts, preventing them from being led astray by selfish desires and biased emotions, keeping the mind in a state of centrality, impartiality, and unswerving rectitude.

值得注意的是，朱熹并未将这几个工夫，视作线性的先后递进关系，而是以 “敬” 为贯通纽带，构建了一个动态循环、相互促进的完整修养模式。他继承二程 “主一无适” 的界定，将 “敬” 确立为贯穿所有工夫的核心精神线索：在格物致知时，需要保持 “敬” 的专一、敬畏心态，才能不被外物干扰，真实、透彻地探究事物之理；在诚意正心时，需要保持 “敬” 的内无妄思、外无妄动状态，才能时刻坚守天理，不被私欲牵引；在具体的修身实践中，更需要通过 “敬” 来收敛身心，规范自己的一言一行，让外在的行为，完全符合内在的道德认知，实现内外的交相滋养。

It is worth noting that Zhu Xi did not view these practices as a linear, sequential progression. Instead, he used "reverence" as the connecting thread to build a dynamic, cyclical, and mutually reinforcing complete cultivation model. Inheriting the Cheng brothers' definition of "concentrating on one thing and not departing from it," he established "reverence" as the core spiritual thread running through all practices. When investigating things and extending knowledge, one must maintain the single-minded and reverential mindset of "reverence" to avoid external distractions and truly, thoroughly explore the principles of things. When making the will sincere and rectifying the mind, one must maintain the state of "reverence"—free from inner false thoughts and outer improper movements—to constantly hold fast to Heavenly Principle and avoid being led by selfish desires. In the concrete practice of self-cultivation, one must even more so use "reverence" to gather in body and mind, discipline every word and deed, allowing external conduct to fully conform to inner moral cognition, achieving mutual nourishment of the inner and outer.

这一完整的逻辑链条，清晰地指明了 “修德” 在诸工夫中的核心地位：“格物致知” 是为了探明道德之理，“诚意正心” 是为了守住道德之本，而 “主敬” 则是贯穿整个修养过程的精神状态与行为准则。所有的具体工夫，最终都要落到 “修德” 这一根本目标上；离开这个根本，“格物致知” 就会沦为没有道德方向的知识积累，“诚意正心” 也会失去明确的价值依托，最终都将走向偏途。

This complete logical chain clearly indicates the core status of "cultivating virtue" among the various practices. "Investigating things and extending knowledge" is to explore the principle of morality; "making the will sincere and rectifying the mind" is to safeguard the root of morality; and "holding to reverence" is the mental state and behavioral code that pervades the entire cultivation process. All specific practices must ultimately serve the fundamental goal of "cultivating virtue." Apart from this root, "investigating things and extending knowledge" would degenerate into knowledge accumulation without moral direction, and "making the will sincere and rectifying the mind" would lose its clear value anchor, both ultimately straying onto deviant paths.

3.3 修德的实践次第：从 “小学” 工夫到 “大学” 工夫

3.3 The Practical Sequence of Cultivating Virtue: From "Elementary Learning" to "Higher Learning"

朱熹 “修德为本” 的思想，不是抽象的理论原则，而是被他细化为一套覆盖从儿童到成人、从日常行为规范到抽象道德认知的完整的、可逐层践行的实践体系。这一体系的核心逻辑，是根据不同年龄的认知特点，明确不同阶段的修德任务，循序渐进，从基础的行为规范入手，最终实现对天理的领悟与道德人格的完善。

Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" is not an abstract theoretical principle but was refined by him into a complete, sequentially practicable system covering the stages from childhood to adulthood, from daily behavioral norms to abstract moral cognition. The core logic of this system is to define distinct tasks for cultivating virtue at different stages according to the cognitive characteristics of different ages, progressing step by step from basic behavioral norms to ultimately realizing the apprehension of Heavenly Principle and the perfection of moral personality.

朱熹将人的道德修养，明确划分为 “小学” 与 “大学” 两个标准阶段，并专门编写《小学》《近思录》作为教材，分别适配不同阶段的修德目标。在他看来，六岁到十五岁的儿童 “小学” 阶段，是修德的根基时期 —— 这个阶段的儿童，还无法理解高深的道德义理，因此不需要进行抽象的理论灌输，只需要教授他们 “洒扫应对进退” 的日常礼仪、孝悌忠信的基本人伦规范，比如侍奉父母、尊重兄长、与朋友相处的基本规则。通过这些日常的具体行为实践，让儿童在潜移默化中养成良好的行为习惯，逐步培养对道德规范的基本认同感，为后续的深入德行修养筑牢根基。

Zhu Xi clearly divided a person's moral cultivation into two standard stages: "elementary learning" and "higher learning," and specifically compiled the Elementary Learning and Reflections on Things at Hand as teaching materials, each tailored to the goals of cultivating virtue at these respective stages. In his view, the "elementary learning" stage for children aged six to fifteen was the foundational period for cultivating virtue. At this stage, children were not yet able to understand profound moral principles, so there was no need for abstract theoretical indoctrination. They only needed to be taught the daily etiquette of "sprinkling, sweeping, responding, and advancing and retiring," and the basic human norms of filial piety, fraternal respect, loyalty, and trustworthiness—for instance, the basic rules for serving parents, respecting elder brothers, and interacting with friends. Through these concrete, daily behavioral practices, children could imperceptibly develop good behavioral habits and gradually cultivate a basic sense of identification with moral norms, thereby building a solid foundation for deeper moral cultivation later.

十五岁之后的 “大学” 阶段，则是修德的深化时期 —— 在这一阶段，修养的重心从具体的行为规范，上升为抽象的道德义理探究。他认为，此时的学习者已经具备基本的认知能力，需要通过 “格物致知” 的工夫，去探究事物之所以然的道理，明白为什么要遵守这些人伦规范，从而将小学阶段养成的习惯，上升为对天理的理性认知，完成从行为自觉到道德自觉的理论升华。

The "higher learning" stage after the age of fifteen was the period for deepening moral cultivation. At this stage, the focus of cultivation shifted from concrete behavioral norms to abstract inquiry into moral principles. He believed that learners at this point already possessed basic cognitive abilities and needed to use the practice of "investigating things and extending knowledge" to explore the rationale behind things, to understand why they should abide by these human norms. This would elevate the habits formed during the elementary learning stage to a rational cognition of Heavenly Principle, completing the theoretical sublimation from behavioral automatism to moral consciousness.

但无论哪个阶段，修德都是核心的主线，这一阶段划分的本质，是将 “修德” 这一抽象的终极目标，拆解为不同阶段、可逐步践行的切实任务，用扎实的日常行为训练和深度的理论探究，双重筑牢道德根基。在朱熹的教育逻辑里，小学阶段的行为规范训练，是大学阶段深入领悟道德义理的必要基础；如果在小学阶段没有养成良好的道德习惯，大学阶段的格物致知、正心诚意，就会缺乏内在的根基，难以真正落地。

Regardless of the stage, cultivating virtue remained the core thread. The essence of this division into stages was to break down the abstract ultimate goal of "cultivating virtue" into practical tasks that could be implemented step by step at different phases, using solid daily behavioral training and deep theoretical inquiry to doubly fortify the moral foundation. In Zhu Xi's educational logic, behavioral norm training in the elementary learning stage was a necessary foundation for deeply apprehending moral principles in the higher learning stage. If good moral habits were not developed during elementary learning, the practices of investigating things, extending knowledge, rectifying the mind, and making the will sincere in the higher learning stage would lack an inner grounding and would be difficult to truly implement.

朱熹不仅提出了阶段划分，还为修德制定了具体的践行路径，将《白鹿洞书院揭示》里的 “修身之要”“处事之要”“接物之要” 作为核心实践准则。其核心逻辑是，修德不是远离日常的空谈，而是要在人伦日用的实处下工夫：对父母要孝顺、对兄弟要恭敬、对朋友要讲信义；每一次待人接物的选择，都要遵循 “义” 的准则，做到处事公正、待人谦和、严于律己、宽以待人。通过日复一日的 “居敬” 与 “穷理” 交互践行，个体就能实现道德人格的完善，抵达 “止于至善” 的终极境界。

Zhu Xi not only proposed a division into stages but also formulated a specific path of practice for cultivating virtue, taking the "Essentials of Self-Cultivation," "Essentials of Handling Affairs," and "Essentials of Engaging with Others" from the Articles of the White Deer Grotto Academy as core practical guidelines. The core logic is that cultivating virtue is not empty talk remote from daily life but must be worked on in the concrete realities of human relationships and practical usage: be filial to parents, respectful to elders, and trustworthy to friends; in every choice of how to treat others, follow the standard of "righteousness," handling affairs justly, treating others humbly, strictly disciplining oneself, and being lenient towards others. Through daily interactive practice of "abiding in reverence" and "exhausting principle," an individual can achieve the perfection of moral personality and arrive at the ultimate state of "abiding in the highest good."

这一整套实践次第的设计，充分体现了朱熹 “修德为本” 思想的务实性：在他看来，成德不是靠静坐觉悟、空谈义理就能实现的，必须从基础的行为工夫做起，从实处下工夫，逐步积累、层层深入，才能将外在的伦理规范，内化为稳定的道德品格，实现真正意义上的成德。

The design of this entire practical sequence fully reflects the pragmatic nature of Zhu Xi's thought on "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation." In his view, character formation is not achieved through sitting in meditation seeking enlightenment or idle talk about principles. It must start from basic behavioral practice, working on concrete matters, gradually accumulating and deepening layer by layer, in order to internalize external ethical norms into stable moral character and achieve character formation in its true sense.

4. 现实意义：“修德为本” 与当代道德教育的多维度回应

4. Contemporary Significance: Multidimensional Responses of "Cultivating Virtue Is the Foundation of Moral Cultivation" to Modern Moral Education

朱熹的 “修德为本” 思想，是中国传统德性伦理的重要组成部分；在当代社会，价值多元、技术变革，道德教育面临着前所未有的复杂挑战，重新审视这一传统思想，能够为现代德育提供不容忽视的借鉴和理论支撑。但需要明确的是，这种审视绝非全盘复古，而是在批判性过滤其历史局限性的基础上，进行创造性转化，挖掘其中具有普遍价值的思想内核，回应现代社会的德育困境，探索传统德性伦理与现代教育融合的合理路径。

Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" constitutes a vital part of China's traditional virtue ethics. In contemporary society, marked by value pluralism and technological transformation, moral education confronts unprecedented and complex challenges. Re-examining this traditional thought can provide undeniable reference points and theoretical support for modern moral education. However, it must be made clear that such an examination is by no means an uncritical revival. Rather, on the basis of critically filtering out its historical limitations, it aims for creative transformation, excavating the universally valuable core of its thought to respond to the moral educational dilemmas of modern society and to explore reasonable pathways for integrating traditional virtue ethics with modern education.

4.1 融合之道：在多元文化背景下，与现代德育理念的对话

4.1 The Path of Integration: Dialogue with Modern Moral Education Concepts in a Multicultural Context

在价值多元、文化多样的当代社会，道德教育面临着多种伦理文化、价值观念、思想流派的冲突与选择。如何对待不同的道德教育思想和伦理精神资源，形成适应当代社会的道德共识，是现代德育无法回避的现实问题。朱熹的 “修德为本” 思想，作为一种有着上千年历史的完整德性伦理体系，并非与现代理念截然对立，反而可以通过创造性转化，与现代德育理念形成互补、融合的良性互动。

In contemporary society with its diverse values and cultures, moral education faces the conflict and choice between multiple ethical cultures, value concepts, and schools of thought. How to treat different resources of moral educational thought and ethical spirit to form a moral consensus adapted to contemporary society is an unavoidable practical problem for modern moral education. Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation," as a complete virtue ethics system with a history of over a thousand years, is not fundamentally opposed to modern concepts. Instead, through creative transformation, it can form a complementary, integrated, and positive interactive relationship with modern moral education concepts.

实现这种融合的理论基础，是朱熹 “理一分殊” 的世界观 —— 这一思想，深刻揭示了中华文明突出的包容性，也为多元文化下的道德共识构建，提供了重要的理论支撑。朱熹用 “月印万川” 的生动比喻，解释 “理一分殊” 的内涵：天上的月亮是 “理一”，江河湖海中倒映的万千月影则是 “分殊”；这意味着，道德的根本价值本体是普遍、绝对、超越时空的，而在不同文化、不同时代的具体表现和实践方式，则可以是多样、差异、多元的。这一逻辑，为现代社会处理道德共识与文化差异的关系，提供了可贵的思路：在终极价值层面，可以坚守一些普遍的道德原则；但在具体实践层面，则可以包容不同文化、不同群体的差异化道德实践，实现道德共识与多元文化的和谐共生。

The theoretical basis for achieving this integration lies in Zhu Xi's worldview of "principle is one, but its manifestations are many." This thought profoundly reveals the outstanding inclusiveness of Chinese civilization and provides important theoretical support for constructing moral consensus in a multicultural context. Zhu Xi used the vivid metaphor of "the moon reflecting in ten thousand rivers" to explain the meaning of "principle is one, but its manifestations are many." The moon in the sky is the "one principle," and the myriad reflections in rivers, lakes, and seas are the "many manifestations." This means that the fundamental value substance of morality is universal, absolute, and transcends time and space, while its concrete manifestations and modes of practice in different cultures and eras can be diverse, differentiated, and pluralistic. This logic offers a valuable approach for modern society to handle the relationship between moral consensus and cultural differences: at the level of ultimate value, certain universal moral principles can be upheld; but at the level of concrete practice, the differentiated moral practices of different cultures and groups can be accommodated, achieving a harmonious coexistence of moral consensus and multiculturalism.

从具体的德育实践维度来看，“修德为本” 与现代德育理念的融合，可以从三个维度展开：

一是在价值基础层面，将儒家的德性伦理与现代社会的普遍伦理相结合。朱熹所倡导的 “仁、义、礼、智、信”“孝悌忠信” 等传统道德规范，以及 “仁爱”“中和”“诚敬” 等道德核心价值，是中华文明的重要精神根系，具有跨越时空的稳定性和共通性。这些价值理念，与现代社会的公民道德、职业道德、家庭美德有着高度的契合性，可以经过现代诠释，转化为当代社会的基础道德准则，为现代德育提供坚实的历史支撑和精神根基。

From the perspective of concrete moral educational practice, the integration of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" with modern moral education concepts can be carried out in three dimensions:

First, at the level of value foundation, combine Confucian virtue ethics with the universal ethics of modern society. The traditional moral norms advocated by Zhu Xi, such as "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness" and "filial piety, fraternal respect, loyalty, and trustworthiness," along with core moral values like "benevolence and love," "centrality and harmony," and "sincerity and reverence," are important spiritual roots of Chinese civilization, possessing stability and commonality across time and space. These values have a high degree of compatibility with modern civic morality, professional ethics, and family virtues. Through modern interpretation, they can be transformed into the basic moral codes of contemporary society, providing solid historical support and spiritual grounding for modern moral education.

二是在核心理念层面，将 “修德为本” 与现代 “立德树人” 的教育根本任务深度对接，实现二者的价值贯通。现代教育强调 “育人为本，德育为先”，这一理念与朱熹将 “修德” 作为教育的根本目标、强调 “先成人后成才” 的核心思想，有着高度的价值共鸣。朱熹在《白鹿洞书院揭示》中明确提出，圣贤教人为学的目的，是 “讲明义理，以修其身”；这与现代教育 “培养德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人” 的目标，在底层逻辑上是相通的 —— 二者都将塑造健全的道德人格，作为教育的首要核心目标；都不把知识积累或技能培养，当成教育的终极目的，而是强调知识与技能的学习，必须以道德养成为基础、为归宿。这一价值共识，成为传统修德思想与现代德育理念融合的核心桥梁。

Second, at the level of core concepts, deeply integrate "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" with the fundamental educational mission of modern times, "fostering virtue through education," realizing a value connection between the two. Modern education emphasizes "educating people as the foundation, with moral education as the priority." This concept has a high degree of value resonance with Zhu Xi's core thought of taking "cultivating virtue" as the fundamental goal of education and emphasizing "becoming a person before becoming a talent." In the Articles of the White Deer Grotto Academy, Zhu Xi clearly stated that the purpose for which sages taught people to learn was "to clarify moral principles in order to cultivate oneself." This is logically connected at the deepest level with the goal of modern education to "cultivate builders and successors of socialism who are well-developed morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and labor-wise." Both regard the shaping of a sound moral personality as the primary core objective of education. Neither treats knowledge accumulation or skill development as the ultimate purpose of education, but rather emphasizes that the learning of knowledge and skills must be based on and aimed at moral formation. This value consensus becomes the core bridge for integrating traditional thoughts on cultivating virtue with modern moral education concepts.

三是在方法层面，将传统的 “居敬”“穷理”“内省”“慎独” 等修养方法，与现代德育方法和路径相结合，打通古代的修养方法与现代的德育实践路径。例如，朱熹所倡导的 “熟读精思”“虚心涵泳” 的读书法，强调自主体悟、独立思考；“居敬持志” 的修养法，强调专一的态度、持久的定力；“切己体察” 的实践法，强调结合自身实际、在日常人伦中践行；以及 “内省”“慎独” 等注重自我道德反省的方法，都可以经过创造性转化，与现代德育中的价值澄清法、道德对话法、情境实践法、榜样示范法等教学方法融合，构建更加丰富、更具实操性的现代德育教学体系。

Third, at the methodological level, combine traditional cultivation methods such as "abiding in reverence," "exhausting principle," "inner reflection," and "vigilance in solitude" with modern moral education methods and pathways, connecting ancient cultivation methods with modern moral educational practice. For example, Zhu Xi's advocated reading method of "reading thoroughly and thinking carefully" and "humbly immersing oneself in the text" emphasizes autonomous realization and independent thinking. The cultivation method of "abiding in reverence and holding fast to one's purpose" emphasizes a single-minded attitude and sustained concentration. The practical method of "personally examining oneself and embodying principles" emphasizes integrating with one's own reality and practicing in daily human relations. Methods focusing on self-moral reflection such as "inner reflection" and "vigilance in solitude" can all be creatively transformed and integrated with modern moral education teaching methods like value clarification, moral dialogue, situational practice, and modeling by example, thereby constructing a richer and more operational modern moral education teaching system.

此外，朱子学在海外的广泛传播，也为这种融合提供了现实基础。朱子学不仅在中国传统社会占据主导地位，还早在中世纪就传播到朝鲜、日本、越南等国家，成为东亚文明的重要精神内核，甚至对欧洲的启蒙思想家也产生了一定影响。这一跨文化传播的历史轨迹说明，“修德为本” 的德性伦理，具有突破文化隔阂的价值内核，可以成为不同文明之间开展道德对话、寻求价值共识的重要精神介质。在当代社会，挖掘这一思想资源，可以为多元文化下的道德共识构建，提供切实可行的精神基础。

Furthermore, the widespread overseas dissemination of Zhu Xi's learning also provides a realistic basis for this integration. Zhu Xi's learning not only held a dominant position in traditional Chinese society but also spread as early as the medieval period to countries like Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, becoming an important spiritual core of East Asian civilization and even exerting some influence on Enlightenment thinkers in Europe. This historical trajectory of cross-cultural transmission demonstrates that the virtue ethics of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" possesses a core of value that can break through cultural barriers and can serve as an important spiritual medium for conducting moral dialogue among different civilizations and seeking value consensus. In contemporary society, excavating this intellectual resource can provide a feasible spiritual basis for constructing moral consensus under multicultural conditions.

4.2 辩证平衡：“修德为本” 与现代教育个性化发展的协同逻辑

4.2 Dialectical Balance: The Coordinated Logic of "Cultivating Virtue Is the Foundation of Moral Cultivation" and Individualized Development in Modern Education

现代教育强调尊重学生的个性差异，挖掘个体的独特潜能，支持学生的个性化发展；而朱熹的 “修德为本” 思想，将道德修养作为所有人的共同追求、作为教育的核心目标，看似与个性化发展的理念存在矛盾 —— 实则不然。朱熹的思想中，蕴含着 “共性个性统一” 的辩证教育原则；他所强调的道德根本目标的普遍性，并不意味着要取消个体的差异、压制个性的发展；相反，道德的共性发展与人格的个性成长，是可以实现辩证统一、和谐共生的。

Modern education emphasizes respecting individual differences among students, tapping into their unique potentials, and supporting their individualized development. Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation," which takes moral cultivation as a common pursuit for all and as the core goal of education, might appear to conflict with the concept of individualized development. In reality, however, this is not the case. Zhu Xi's thought contains a dialectical educational principle of "unity of commonality and individuality." The universality of the fundamental moral goal he emphasizes does not imply the erasure of individual differences or the suppression of personal development. On the contrary, the common development of morality and the individual growth of personality can achieve a dialectical unity and harmonious coexistence.

朱熹的教育逻辑，本身就包含着对个体差异的尊重和因材施教的底层设计；这是二者能够实现平衡的关键前提。一方面，朱熹将 “修德” 确立为教育的首要目标，强调 “先成人后成才”—— 在他看来，德行是学问、能力的根本依托；一个人如果没有德行，即使掌握再多的知识、具备再强的能力，也只会对社会造成更大的危害。这是所有教育活动必须坚守的共同价值基础，是不能被任何个性化发展需求突破的底线。另一方面，朱熹并不主张用刻板的标准来约束所有学生，反而高度重视学生的个性差异、气质差异、学习节奏差异，强调教育要 “因材施教”，根据学生的不同特点，选择适配的教学方法、设计适配的学习路径，让不同特质的学生都能在修德的基础上，最大化发展自身的个性与潜能。

Zhu Xi's educational logic inherently contains a respect for individual differences and an underlying design for teaching according to aptitude; this is the key prerequisite for achieving this balance. On the one hand, Zhu Xi established "cultivating virtue" as the primary goal of education, emphasizing "becoming a person before becoming a talent." In his view, virtue is the fundamental support for knowledge and ability. A person without virtue, even if possessing vast knowledge and strong abilities, will only cause greater harm to society. This is the common value foundation that all educational activities must uphold, a baseline that cannot be breached by any demand for individualized development. On the other hand, Zhu Xi did not advocate constraining all students with a rigid standard. Instead, he highly valued students' differences in personality, disposition, and learning pace, emphasizing that education must "teach according to aptitude," selecting suitable teaching methods and designing appropriate learning paths based on students' different characteristics, allowing students with different traits to maximize the development of their personalities and potentials on the basis of cultivating virtue.

具体而言，朱熹设计的教育体系，从两个维度保障了共性与个性的平衡：

一是在教育目标层面，确立 “德体智用”“以德御才” 的核心原则。朱熹将道德修养比作 “根柢”，将知识才能比作 “枝叶”—— 枝叶的生长必须依赖根柢的滋养，而根柢的价值，也需要通过枝叶的繁茂来体现。这一逻辑，明确了二者的辩证关系：“修德” 是教育的共同基础和根本前提，无论学生未来发展什么特长、走何种职业道路，都必须先夯实德行基础，完成基本的道德修养；而个性化发展，则是在这一共同前提下的自然延伸 —— 教育的作用，就是在坚守德育底线的基础上，挖掘、保护、发展学生的独特潜能，让个体的才能在道德的框架内得到最大化的发展。这一思路，与现代教育中 “培养全面发展的人” 的核心宗旨，有着高度的契合性。

Specifically, Zhu Xi's designed educational system ensures the balance between commonality and individuality from two dimensions:

First, at the level of educational goals, he established the core principle of "virtue as substance and talent as function" and "using virtue to steer talent." Zhu Xi compared moral cultivation to "roots" and knowledge and ability to "branches and leaves." The growth of branches and leaves must rely on the nourishment of the roots, and the value of the roots also needs to be demonstrated through the flourishing of the branches and leaves. This logic clarifies the dialectical relationship between the two: "cultivating virtue" is the common foundation and fundamental prerequisite of education. Regardless of what specializations a student develops in the future or what career path they take, they must first solidify this foundation of virtue and complete basic moral cultivation. Individualized development, then, is a natural extension based on this common prerequisite. The role of education is to explore, protect, and develop students' unique potentials on the basis of adhering to the moral baseline, allowing individual talents to be maximized within the framework of morality. This line of thinking has a high degree of compatibility with the core purpose of modern education to "cultivate well-rounded individuals."

二是在教育实践层面，构建 “阶段差异 + 因材施教” 的柔性实施框架。朱熹不仅提出了 “小学 - 大学” 的分段教育设计，还进一步细化了不同阶段的教育方法，为个性发展提供了充足的空间。在小学阶段，他主张在统一的行为规范教育基础上，根据学生的不同特质，进行有针对性的引导，用不同的行为规范要求，去适配不同学生的气质差异；到了大学阶段，在统一的道德义理探究基础上，更是鼓励学生根据自己的兴趣、资质、特长，选择不同的深造方向，通过对不同领域的 “穷理”，实现不同方式的成德目标。朱熹的这一主张，被后世总结为 “孔子教人，各因其材” 的因材施教原则 —— 这一原则，也正是现代个性化教育的核心底层逻辑。

Second, at the level of educational practice, he built a flexible implementation framework of "stage differentiation plus teaching according to aptitude." Zhu Xi not only proposed the staged educational design of "elementary learning—higher learning" but also further refined the educational methods for different stages, providing ample space for personality development. In the elementary learning stage, he advocated targeted guidance based on unified behavioral norm education, using different behavioral requirements to suit the differences in students' dispositions. In the higher learning stage, on the basis of unified inquiry into moral principles, he further encouraged students to choose different fields of in-depth study according to their interests, aptitudes, and strengths, achieving the goal of character formation in different ways through "exhausting principle" in different domains. This proposition of Zhu Xi was later summarized by posterity as the principle of "Confucius taught each person according to their nature," which is also the core underlying logic of modern individualized education.

在当代教育语境下，这种平衡逻辑具有极强的现实指导意义：现代教育尊重学生的个性化发展、注重保护学生的独特性，是现代教育进步的重要标志；但个性化发展不能背离道德底线，不能脱离基本的德性修养。借鉴朱熹的 “修德” 思想，当代教育需要在 “德行共性” 与 “个性发展” 之间找到精准的平衡点 —— 这个平衡点，就是 “立德树人” 的根本标准：以道德修养为基础前提，在统一的伦理价值框架内，尊重学生的资质差异、兴趣差异和发展需求，通过差异化的教学方法、多样化的课程选择、个性化的成长路径，实现道德人格与个性潜能的同步发展。

In the context of contemporary education, this logic of balance has extremely strong practical guiding significance. Modern education's respect for students' individualized development and its emphasis on protecting their uniqueness are important markers of educational progress. However, individualized development must not deviate from the moral bottom line or be divorced from fundamental virtue cultivation. Drawing on Zhu Xi's thought on "cultivating virtue," contemporary education needs to find a precise balance between "moral commonality" and "individual development." This balance point is the fundamental standard of "fostering virtue through education": taking moral cultivation as the basic prerequisite, within a unified ethical value framework, respecting students' differences in aptitude, interests, and developmental needs, and using differentiated teaching methods, diverse curriculum choices, and personalized growth paths to achieve the simultaneous development of moral personality and individual potential.

这一平衡逻辑的本质，是用 “修德” 来校准个性化发展的价值方向，用个性化发展来拓宽 “修德” 的实践路径：让学生在涵养德行的基础上发展个性，在发展个性的过程中涵养德行，避免个性化发展走向罔顾道德底线的利己主义，也避免 “修德” 沦为抹杀个性、压制创造力的精神束缚，实现健全人格与个性化才能的双重发展。

The essence of this balancing logic is to use "cultivating virtue" to calibrate the value direction of individualized development and to use individualized development to broaden the practical paths of "cultivating virtue": allowing students to develop their personalities on the basis of cultivating virtue, and to cultivate virtue in the process of developing their personalities. This avoids individualized development sliding into egoism that disregards the moral bottom line, and also prevents "cultivating virtue" from becoming a spiritual shackle that stifles individuality and suppresses creativity, thereby realizing the dual development of sound personality and individualized talent.

4.3 治平根本：“修德为本” 对治国理政、全球治理的支撑机制

4.3 The Root of Governance and Peace: The Supportive Mechanism of "Cultivating Virtue Is the Foundation of Moral Cultivation" for State Governance and Global Governance

儒家思想从来不是单纯的道德教条，而是以 “修己以安人” 为核心指向的伦理政治体系；这一体系，以 “内圣外王” 为理想路径，以 “修齐治平” 为实践逻辑。朱熹的 “修德为本” 思想，作为《大学》“修齐治平” 逻辑的深化与展开，不仅适用于个体道德修养，也包含着一套完整的、由内而外的社会治理支撑机制 —— 从个体德行修养，延伸至家庭管理、国家治理、全球 “天下” 秩序建构，形成了连贯的、本末有序的伦理政治逻辑，为当代的国家治理与全球治理提供了宝贵的思想启迪。

Confucian thought has never been a simple moral dogma but an ethical-political system centered on "cultivating oneself to bring peace to others." This system takes "inner sage and outer king" as its ideal path and "self-cultivation, family regulation, state governance, and world peace" as its practical logic. Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation," as a deepening and unfolding of the logic of "self-cultivation, family regulation, state governance, and world peace" from the Great Learning, is not only applicable to individual moral cultivation but also contains a complete set of supportive mechanisms for social governance that move from inner to outer. Extending from individual virtue cultivation to family management, state governance, and the construction of global "all-under-heaven" order, it forms a coherent, orderly ethical-political logic, providing valuable insights for contemporary state and global governance.

这一支撑机制的核心逻辑，是《大学》中 “身修而后家齐，家齐而后国治，国治而后天下平” 的递进式传导链条。朱熹将这一逻辑进一步理论化，明确了 “修德” 作为治理基础的核心地位：在他看来，上到帝王将相，下到平民百姓，一律要以修德作为根本；个体的道德修养，是家庭和睦、社会和谐、国家安定、天下太平的逻辑起点与前提条件。这一机制可以细化为四个逐层递进的传导环节，每个环节都有明确的理论支撑：

The core logic of this supportive mechanism is the progressive transmission chain from the Great Learning: "When the self is cultivated, the family is regulated; when the family is regulated, the state is governed; when the state is governed, peace prevails throughout the world." Zhu Xi further theorized this logic, clarifying the core status of "cultivating virtue" as the foundation of governance. In his view, from the emperor and ministers down to the common people, all must take cultivating virtue as the root. Individual moral cultivation is the logical starting point and prerequisite for family harmony, social concord, state stability, and world peace. This mechanism can be broken down into four progressively advancing transmission links, each with clear theoretical support:

其一，修身立德，是家庭管理、家庭道德共同体建设的基础前提。家庭是社会的基本细胞，是连接个体与社会的重要纽带；在儒家 “修齐治平” 的逻辑链条中，“齐家” 是 “修身” 的直接外化路径，也是 “治国、平天下” 的基础传导中介。朱熹进一步将这一逻辑具体化：在家庭中，父母兄弟的道德修养，是塑造家庭良好伦理氛围的关键；只有先端正自己的言行举止，具备孝顺、恭敬、慈爱、信义等德行，才能以自己的道德言行去教育、感化家人，协调好父子、兄弟、夫妻之间的家庭伦理关系，实现家庭关系的和谐规整。而家庭作为社会的基本细胞，家庭的德化氛围，会直接影响社会的整体风气 —— 如果每个家庭都能做到父慈子孝、兄友弟恭，整个社会的道德风尚自然会趋于良善。

First, self-cultivation and establishing virtue are the basic premises for family management and the construction of the family as a moral community. The family is the basic cell of society and a crucial link connecting the individual and society. In the Confucian logical chain of "self-cultivation, family regulation, state governance, and world peace," "regulating the family" is the direct externalization path of "self-cultivation" and the foundational mediating link for "governing the state and bringing peace to the world." Zhu Xi further concretized this logic: within the family, the moral cultivation of parents and siblings is key to shaping a good family ethical atmosphere. Only by first rectifying one's own words and deeds and possessing virtues such as filial piety, respect, kindness, and trustworthiness can one educate and influence family members through one's own moral conduct, harmonize the ethical relationships between father and son, elder and younger brother, husband and wife, and achieve a harmonious and well-ordered family. As the basic cell of society, the family's moral atmosphere directly affects the overall mores of society. If every family can achieve parental kindness, filial piety, fraternal love, and respect, the moral tone of the entire society will naturally tend toward goodness.

其二，家庭的德化氛围，是国家治理、政治秩序稳定的基础传导中介。朱熹认为，治国的根本逻辑与齐家是相通的，只不过应用的范围更广、影响更深远；家庭中的孝悌慈爱等道德伦理规范，本质上就是政治原则在家庭中的具体体现。对国家治理者而言，只有自己具备了良好的道德修养，才能推己及人，以道德的方式治理国家；对普通民众而言，只有在家庭中养成了孝悌忠信的道德品质，才能在社会上安分守己、忠于职守，自觉遵守社会的法律规范和公共道德。当 “修德” 从个体层面延伸到家庭层面，再进一步拓展到国家层面时，整个国家的社会秩序、道德风尚就有了坚实的内在支撑。

Second, the moral atmosphere of the family serves as the foundational mediating link for state governance and the stability of political order. Zhu Xi believed that the fundamental logic of governing the state is the same as regulating the family, only applied on a broader scale with more far-reaching implications. Moral and ethical norms within the family, such as filial piety, fraternal respect, kindness, and love, are essentially concrete manifestations of political principles in the family setting. For state governors, only by possessing good moral cultivation themselves can they extend this to others and govern the state in a moral manner. For ordinary people, only by cultivating the moral qualities of filial piety, fraternal respect, loyalty, and trustworthiness within the family can they keep to their proper station, be loyal to their duties, and consciously abide by social legal norms and public morality in society. When "cultivating virtue" extends from the individual level to the family level and further expands to the state level, the social order and moral tone of the entire state acquire solid inner support.

其三，国家治理者的修德，是实现德治、仁政的关键前提。朱熹继承了儒家传统的 “德治” 思想，将 “修德” 的主体重点指向国家治理群体，也就是社会的治理者；这是其 “修德为本” 思想在政治领域的核心应用。在朱熹看来，“政”“刑” 只是治理的辅助手段，只能通过强制力量约束百姓的行为，让百姓被动遵守法律；而 “德”“礼” 才是治理的根本，能够通过国家治理者的道德表率和礼仪教化，感化、引导百姓自觉遵守道德规范。因此，他强调 “以德为本”，认为只有国家治理者先涵养自身的德行，端正自身的道德行为，才能形成强有力的道德感召力，通过上行下效的传导机制，感化百姓、重塑社会风气，实现社会的稳定、国家的安定。这一思路，也与现代治理理论中 “官员道德建设” 的基础性作用，有着高度的契合性。

Third, the cultivation of virtue by state governors is the key prerequisite for realizing virtuous governance and benevolent rule. Zhu Xi inherited the Confucian traditional thought of "rule by virtue," directing the focus of "cultivating virtue" primarily toward the governing group, i.e., the rulers of society. This is the core application of his thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" in the political realm. In Zhu Xi's view, "governance by law and punishment" are merely auxiliary means of governance; they can only constrain people's behavior through coercive force, making them passively comply with the law. "Virtue and ritual propriety" are the root of governance; they can move and guide people to consciously abide by moral norms through the moral example and ritual education of the state governors. Therefore, he emphasized "taking virtue as the root," believing that only when state governors first cultivate their own virtue and rectify their own moral conduct can a powerful moral charisma be formed. Through the transmission mechanism of those above setting an example for those below, the people can be moved, social mores reshaped, and social stability and state security achieved. This line of thinking also has a high degree of compatibility with the foundational role of "official moral construction" in modern governance theory.

其四，“修德” 的推广，是实现天下太平、世界秩序和谐的文化与道德基础。朱熹的 “修德为本” 思想，并不局限于国家内部的治理逻辑，而是进一步延伸到国际秩序、全球治理的 “平天下” 维度 —— 这一延伸的理论基础，是朱子学 “天下一统”“协和万邦” 的世界观，以及 “仁”“中和” 的道德价值。在朱熹看来，“天下” 是一个超越国家、民族的道德共同体；要实现天下太平，必须以 “修德” 为基础，将 “仁爱”“中和”“诚信” 等道德价值，从国内推广到不同国家、不同文明之间，用道德的感召力、伦理的约束力，来协调国际关系、处理国际纷争、构建国际秩序，实现世界的和谐共处。

Fourth, the extension of "cultivating virtue" serves as the cultural and moral foundation for achieving world peace and a harmonious world order. Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" was not limited to the logic of internal state governance but extended further to the dimension of international order and global governance encapsulated in "bringing peace to the world." The theoretical basis for this extension is the Zhu Xi school's worldview of "all under heaven as one" and "harmonizing the myriad states," along with the moral values of "benevolence" and "centrality and harmony." In Zhu Xi's view, "all under heaven" is a moral community that transcends individual states and nations. To achieve world peace, one must take "cultivating virtue" as the basis and extend moral values such as "benevolence and love," "centrality and harmony," and "sincerity and trustworthiness" from the domestic sphere to the relations between different nations and civilizations, using moral charisma and ethical constraints to coordinate international relations, handle international disputes, and construct international order, realizing harmonious coexistence in the world.

这一整套由内而外、由个体到社会、由国内到全球的传导机制，具有鲜明的 “伦理政治化、政治伦理化” 特征，为现代社会理解道德与治理的关联、构建治理体系提供了重要的思想资源。在现代国家治理语境下，这一机制的价值在于：它指明了法治与德治之间的辩证关系 —— 法律是由国家强制力保证实施的外在行为规范，以其权威性约束人们的言行；而道德则是内心的法律，是自觉自律的内在价值约束；法律的有效实施，需要道德作为内在支撑；如果整个社会的道德体系崩坏，法律制度再缜密，也很难单独维持良好的社会秩序。在当代社会，治理体系的现代化，需要以道德修养为基础支撑，将法治的他律与德治的自律相结合，实现法律的外在强制与道德的内在约束的协同互补。

This entire transmission mechanism from inner to outer, from individual to society, and from domestic to global, possesses a distinctive feature of "ethicizing politics and politicizing ethics," providing an important intellectual resource for modern society to understand the relationship between morality and governance and to construct governance systems. In the context of modern state governance, the value of this mechanism lies in its pointing out the dialectical relationship between rule of law and rule of virtue. Law is an external behavioral norm enforced by the coercive power of the state, constraining people's words and deeds with its authority. Morality, however, is the law of the heart, an inner value constraint of self-awareness and self-discipline. The effective implementation of law requires morality as inner support. If the moral system of the entire society collapses, no matter how meticulous the legal system is, it will be difficult to maintain good social order on its own. In contemporary society, the modernization of the governance system requires taking moral cultivation as its foundational support, combining the external regulation of rule of law with the self-discipline of rule of virtue, achieving the synergistic complementarity of the external compulsion of law and the inner constraint of morality.

而在全球治理层面，朱熹的 “修德” 思想，同样具有不可替代的借鉴价值。当前，全球治理面临着文明冲突、主义对立、利益纷争等诸多现实挑战，朱熹 “修德为本” 的思想，提供了一条以道德共识、文明互鉴、修好建立全球价值共识的路径，为处理国际关系、化解文明冲突、重建全球治理体系提供了有益思路。

At the level of global governance, Zhu Xi's thought on "cultivating virtue" similarly offers irreplaceable reference value. Currently, global governance faces numerous real challenges such as clashes of civilizations, ideological confrontations, and conflicts of interest. Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" provides a pathway for establishing global value consensus based on moral consensus, mutual learning among civilizations, and harmony, offering useful insights for handling international relations, resolving civilizational conflicts, and rebuilding the global governance system.

4.4 现代转化：“修德为本” 对网络道德建设的现实启示

4.4 Modern Transformation: The Practical Inspiration of "Cultivating Virtue Is the Foundation of Moral Cultivation" for Internet Moral Construction

互联网技术的普及，彻底重塑了人类的生活空间和交往方式，也催生了大量的新型道德问题 —— 网络空间的匿名性、信息传播的即时性、交往行为的虚拟性，极大降低了道德行为的外在约束强度，使得网络谣言、网络暴力、信息泄露、网络欺诈等道德失范现象频发，成为现代社会亟待解决的治理难题。如何在技术条件下规范网民的虚拟空间行为、构建健康的网络道德秩序，是当代道德教育与社会治理共同面临的复杂课题。朱熹的 “修德为本” 思想，虽诞生于前互联网时代，但其关于道德自律、慎独、自省的修养理念，为解决这一现代难题提供了珍贵的思想武器，具有重要的现实启示价值。

The popularization of internet technology has thoroughly reshaped human living spaces and modes of interaction, giving rise to a host of new moral problems. The anonymity of cyberspace, the instantaneity of information dissemination, and the virtuality of interactions have greatly weakened the intensity of external constraints on moral behavior, causing frequent occurrences of moral anomie such as online rumors, cyberbullying, information leaks, and online fraud, which have become urgent governance challenges for modern society. How to regulate virtual behavior under technological conditions and construct a healthy online moral order is a complex issue faced by both contemporary moral education and social governance. Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation," though born in the pre-internet era, provides precious intellectual weaponry for solving this modern dilemma through its cultivation concepts of moral self-discipline, vigilance in solitude, and self-reflection, holding significant practical inspirational value.

网络道德建设的核心困境，在于外在监督机制的弱化导致的道德失范行为频发。在现实生活中，人们的道德行为，往往依赖法律、舆论、人际关系等外在监督机制的约束；但在匿名性、虚拟性、开放性的网络空间，外在监督机制的覆盖范围和实施效果被大幅削弱，人与人之间的交往没有了现实场景的约束，行为的后果往往不会直接反馈到行为者本人，这就导致不少人在网络中放松了道德约束，表现出现实中不会出现的恶行。解决这一问题的关键，正在于朱熹 “修德为本” 所强调的，把外在的道德规范转化为内在的道德自觉。

The core dilemma of internet moral construction lies in the frequent occurrence of moral anomie caused by the weakening of external oversight mechanisms. In real life, people's moral behavior often relies on the constraints of external oversight mechanisms such as law, public opinion, and interpersonal relationships. However, in the anonymous, virtual, and open space of the internet, the coverage and effectiveness of external oversight mechanisms are greatly reduced. Interactions between people lack the constraints of real-life contexts, and the consequences of actions often do not feed back directly to the actor. This leads many to relax their moral constraints online, manifesting vicious behaviors they would not exhibit in reality. The key to solving this problem lies precisely in what Zhu Xi's "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" emphasizes: transforming external moral norms into inner moral self-consciousness.

朱熹的德性修养思想中，有三大核心理念，恰好对治网络空间的道德困境，为网络道德建设提供了清晰的实践方向：

其一，“慎独” 思想，是治理网络道德失范的核心关键。“慎独” 是儒家德性修养的核心概念，也是朱熹 “修德为本” 思想的重要组成部分；朱熹将 “独” 字解释为 “人所不知而己独知之地”，这与网络空间的行为特征高度契合 —— 在虚拟的网络空间，人们的行为往往是 “独知” 的：一个人在现实中的行为有很多人见证，但在网络中发表言论、浏览信息、发起交往，往往是独自进行的，没有现实中的他人监督。在朱熹看来，真正的道德修养，恰恰体现在这种 “人所不知而己独知” 的场景中 —— 即使没有任何外在监督、没有现实场景的约束，自己的内心也必须保持清醒的道德自觉，做到言行一致、人前人后一致，不对他人造成伤害。这一理念，正是网络道德建设需要的核心精神资源。

Within Zhu Xi's thought on moral cultivation, there are three core concepts that precisely address the moral dilemma of cyberspace, providing a clear practical direction for internet moral construction:

First, the thought of "vigilance in solitude" is the core key to tackling online moral anomie. "Vigilance in solitude" is a core concept of Confucian moral cultivation and an important component of Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation." Zhu Xi interpreted the character "solitude" as "a place unknown to others but known only to oneself," a description that highly aligns with the behavioral characteristics of cyberspace. In the virtual space of the internet, people's actions are often "known only to oneself": in reality, one's actions are witnessed by many, but online, posting comments, browsing information, and initiating interactions are often done alone, without the supervision of others in reality. In Zhu Xi's view, true moral cultivation is precisely demonstrated in such scenarios "unknown to others but known only to oneself." Even without any external oversight or constraints from real-life context, one's inner mind must maintain a clear moral self-consciousness, ensuring consistency between words and deeds, and between public and private behavior, without causing harm to others. This concept is precisely the core spiritual resource needed for internet moral construction.

其二，“居敬” 涵养的态度，是塑造良好网络行为的内在约束基础。朱熹继承二程 “主一无适” 的定义，将 “敬” 提炼为贯穿道德修养全过程的核心精神状态 —— 这一概念，本质上是强调对自己的道德行为的主动克制、自我约束、自觉监督，让内心始终保持敬畏、谨慎的状态，不会因为缺乏外在监督而肆意妄为。在网络空间，“居敬” 的修养，能够让人们在接触海量信息、面对纷繁复杂的网络场景时，保持清醒的理性和敬畏的态度，不被自己的偏私欲望和片面情绪牵引，自觉遵守道德规范和公序良俗，不发表伤害他人的言论，不传播虚假有害的信息，建立起一道坚固的内在道德防线。

Second, the attitude of "abiding in reverence" serves as the inner constraint foundation for shaping good online behavior. Zhu Xi inherited the Cheng brothers' definition of "concentrating on one thing and not departing from it" and refined "reverence" into a core mental state that pervades the entire process of moral cultivation. This concept essentially emphasizes active restraint, self-discipline, and self-supervision over one's moral conduct, keeping the inner mind in a state of constant awe and caution, avoiding acting recklessly due to a lack of external supervision. In cyberspace, the cultivation of "abiding in reverence" can enable people, when exposed to vast amounts of information and faced with complex and chaotic online scenarios, to maintain clear rationality and a reverent attitude, not led astray by their own selfish desires and one-sided emotions, consciously abiding by moral norms and public order and good customs, refraining from publishing remarks that harm others or spreading false and harmful information, thereby building a strong inner moral defense line.

其三，“省察克治” 的修养方法，是提升网络道德水平的重要实践路径。朱熹强调，道德修养不是一蹴而就的，而是需要长期坚持的 “省察克治” 功夫 —— 所谓省察，就是要经常反省自己的行为和念头，是否有违背天理、违背道德规范的地方；所谓克治，就是要在发现自己的偏向时，主动进行自我纠正，及时克制、消除过分的私欲和错误的念头。这一方法，可以直接应用于网络道德实践：人们需要在网络活动中，时刻保持自我反省的意识，自觉检查自己的网络言行，是否符合公序良俗和道德规范；在出现不当言论、冲动行为的倾向时，主动加以克制；在意识到自己的行为伤害到他人时，及时改正、主动补救，将外在的道德规范，逐步转化为稳定的道德行为习惯。

Third, the cultivation method of "self-examination and overcoming the self" is an important practical path for enhancing online moral standards. Zhu Xi emphasized that moral cultivation is not achieved overnight but requires a long-term, sustained effort of "self-examination and overcoming the self." "Self-examination" means constantly reflecting on whether one's actions and thoughts have contravened Heavenly Principle and moral norms. "Overcoming the self" means actively engaging in self-correction when one detects a deviation, promptly restraining and eliminating excessive selfish desires and erroneous thoughts. This method can be directly applied to internet moral practice: people need to maintain a constant awareness of self-reflection in their online activities, consciously checking whether their online words and deeds conform to public order, good customs, and moral norms. When a tendency toward inappropriate remarks or impulsive behavior arises, they should actively restrain themselves. When realizing that their behavior has harmed others, they should promptly correct it and proactively make amends, gradually transforming external moral norms into stable moral behavioral habits.

从社会层面来看，朱熹的 “修德为本” 思想，也为构建技术与人文协同的现代网络综合治理体系提供了重要的价值支撑。网络治理需要法律的硬性约束、平台的算法规制、技术的溯源支撑，但这一切的基础，是全体网民道德素养的提升；只有将道德教育与技术治理、制度建设相结合，才能从根源上减少网络道德失范行为。这一思路，与现代网络综合治理体系的建设逻辑高度契合 —— 在完善他律机制的同时，必须加强网民的德性修养教育，将 “慎独”“居敬”“自省” 等传统修养理念，转化为网络时代的公共道德准则，让外在的制度约束、技术约束，与内在的道德自觉形成协同合力，构建健康、文明、向上的网络生态空间。

From a societal perspective, Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" also provides crucial value support for constructing a modern comprehensive internet governance system that coordinates technology and the humanities. Internet governance requires the hard constraints of law, the algorithmic regulations of platforms, and the technological support of traceability, but the foundation of all this is the elevation of the moral literacy of all netizens. Only by combining moral education with technological governance and institutional construction can online moral anomie behaviors be reduced at the root. This line of thinking is highly compatible with the construction logic of the modern comprehensive internet governance system. While improving external regulatory mechanisms, it is necessary to strengthen the cultivation of netizens' virtue, transforming traditional cultivation concepts such as "vigilance in solitude," "abiding in reverence," and "self-reflection" into public moral standards for the internet age. This allows external institutional and technological constraints to form a synergistic force with inner moral self-consciousness, constructing a healthy, civilized, and uplifting online ecosystem.

结语

朱熹的 “修德为本” 思想，是在继承二程德性涵养理论、批判矫正南宋学风流弊、重构儒家成德之教的过程中逐步形成的，是对先秦儒家《大学》修身思想的理学化阐释。它以 “天理” 为形上依据，以 “居敬穷理” 为核心工夫，以《大学》“三纲领八条目” 为逻辑框架，以 “明明德、亲民、止于至善” 为终极目标，构建了一套从日常行为规范到抽象道德认知、从个体修身立德到国家治理、天下太平的完整德性修养体系；这套体系，不仅深度塑造了中国传统社会的价值取向，也为当代社会的道德建设、教育发展、国家治理与全球治理，提供了不可替代的思想资源。

Conclusion

Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" was gradually formed through the inheritance of the Cheng brothers' theories of moral cultivation, the critical correction of the scholarly malaise of the Southern Song, and the reconstruction of the Confucian teaching of character formation. It is a Neo-Confucian interpretation of the pre-Qin Confucian idea of self-cultivation found in the Great Learning. Taking "Heavenly Principle" as its metaphysical basis, "abiding in reverence and exhausting principle" as its core practice, the "three guiding principles and eight items" of the Great Learning as its logical framework, and "manifesting bright virtue, renewing the people, and abiding in the highest good" as its ultimate goal, it builds a complete system of virtue cultivation that spans from daily behavioral norms to abstract moral cognition, from individual self-cultivation to state governance and world peace. This system not only profoundly shaped the value orientation of traditional Chinese society but also provides irreplaceable intellectual resources for the moral construction, educational development, state governance, and global governance of contemporary society.

在当代社会，价值观念多元、技术发展迅猛、社会治理环境日趋复杂，道德建设面临着前所未有的挑战。在这样的时代背景下，重新审视朱熹的 “修德为本” 思想，不是要全盘复古、回到传统的道德教条中去，而是要对其进行创造性转化、创新性发展，提取其中适用于现代社会的普遍性、合理的思想内核，重新发掘传统德性伦理蕴含的人文精神，与现代社会的价值共识、制度建设相融合。

In contemporary society, characterized by diverse values, rapid technological development, and an increasingly complex social governance environment, moral construction faces unprecedented challenges. Against this backdrop, re-examining Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" is not about an uncritical revival or a return to traditional moral dogma. Rather, it is about engaging in creative transformation and innovative development, extracting from it the universal and reasonable core ideas applicable to modern society, rediscovering the humanistic spirit embedded in traditional virtue ethics, and integrating these with modern society's value consensus and institutional construction.

具体来看，这一思想对当今社会的重要价值，主要体现在四个维度：在道德教育领域，它是 “立德树人” 教育目标的重要思想支撑，为扭转重知识轻德行的教育偏差、构建完善的德育体系提供了明确的价值方向；在个人发展领域，它为现代人们提供了一套切实可行的自我修养方法，为实现人格的完善、个性的健康发展提供了坚实的道德基础；在国家治理领域，它指明了德治与法治辩证关系的根本逻辑，为当代社会推进以德治国、推进国家治理体系现代化提供了重要的理论借鉴；在全球治理领域，它所蕴含的 “中和”“仁爱”“理一分殊” 的思想，为化解文明冲突、构建人类命运共同体、重建全球道德共识提供了珍贵的文化资源。

Concretely, the important value of this thought for today's society is primarily manifested in four dimensions. In the field of moral education, it serves as crucial intellectual support for the educational goal of "fostering virtue through education," providing a clear value direction for correcting the bias of valuing knowledge over moral character and for constructing a complete moral education system. In the field of personal development, it offers modern individuals a set of feasible methods for self-cultivation, laying a solid moral foundation for achieving personal perfection and the healthy development of personality. In the field of state governance, it illuminates the fundamental logic of the dialectical relationship between rule of virtue and rule of law, offering significant theoretical guidance for advancing rule by virtue and modernizing the state governance system in contemporary society. In the field of global governance, its embedded concepts of "centrality and harmony," "benevolence and love," and "principle is one, but its manifestations are many" provide precious cultural resources for resolving civilizational clashes, building a community with a shared future for mankind, and reconstructing a global moral consensus.

朱熹的 “修德为本” 思想，并非与现代社会割裂的古老思想遗产，而是具有强大生命力的思想资源；它所揭示的道德发展规律，所倡导的道德价值理念，所设计的道德实践路径，对今天的道德建设与社会发展仍然有着不可替代的参考价值。深入挖掘这一思想的时代价值，推动传统德性伦理与现代社会的深度融合，赋能当代道德建设，对构建安定有序的社会风尚、培养全面发展的现代人格、实现人类社会的和谐发展具有重要意义。

Zhu Xi's thought of "cultivating virtue is the foundation of moral cultivation" is not an ancient intellectual heritage disconnected from modern society but a living intellectual resource with powerful vitality. The laws of moral development it reveals, the moral values it advocates, and the moral practice paths it designs still hold irreplaceable reference value for today's moral construction and social development. Deeply excavating the contemporary value of this thought, promoting the deep integration of traditional virtue ethics with modern society, and empowering contemporary moral construction are of great significance for building a stable and orderly social atmosphere, cultivating a well-rounded modern personality, and achieving the harmonious development of human society.

• 朱熹

• 程朱理学

• 道德修养

• 现代德育

• 全球治理

• 网络伦理

• 传统文化现代转化

• 《大学》诠释

• 二程思想

• 工夫论