朱熹"修德為本"思想探源：思想淵源、歷史邏輯與當代關懷

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

導言

在儒家思想史上，朱熹是繼孔子之後，全面總結先秦以來儒學發展、並構建起一套嚴密理論體系的思想巨匠；由他集大成的程朱理學，不僅主導了南宋之後中國傳統社會的意識形態，也深刻塑造了中國人延續至今的倫理觀念與精神氣質。“修德為本” 是朱子德性倫理體系的核心命題 —— 上承《大學》“自天子以至於庶人，壹是皆以修身為本” 的修學綱領，下迨其對道德修養路徑、次第、方法的系統闡發，構成了朱熹論述個人自我完善、人際和諧，乃至社會治理、世界秩序的基本邏輯起點。

Introduction

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.

朱熹對 “修德” 的極端重視，並非單純的理論建構，而是源於對思想脈絡的接續與現實的雙重審視。在理論端，他認為三代以下，聖賢道統失傳，學術沉淪，亟需通過復興儒家原典，重塑正確的為學與修身方向；在現實端，他所處的南宋社會，偏安一隅，朝野上下困於安逸，學風空疏、士風頹靡，道德修養被片面化理解或束之高閣 —— 在他眼中，這一切社會與思想困境的根源，正在於人們偏離了 “修德” 這一根本支柱。

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."

從學術傳承的角度看，朱熹的 “修德為本” 思想，是對二程（程顥、程頤）德性涵養學說的繼承與發展。二程以 “天理” 為核心重建儒家道德的形而上學基礎，把儒家倫理上升為宇宙間的絕對真理，程頤進一步提出 “涵養須用敬，進學則在致知” 的雙線修養路徑；朱熹則將這一未完成的理論構想整合為一套 “居敬窮理”、內外交修的完整實踐體系，把 “修德” 從一個抽象的倫理要求，轉化為涵蓋小學灑掃應對、大學格物致知，直至齊家治國平天下的系統性實踐框架。

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.

在現代社會，價值多元、技術變革，道德教育面臨著前所未有的複雜挑戰：知識傳授與品德培養的失衡、個體發展與集體倫理的疏離、虛擬空間與現實人格的割裂…… 在這一背景下，重新審視朱熹 “修德為本” 的思想內核，釐清其歷史邏輯與理論架構，不是簡單回歸傳統道德教條，而是要藉助這套成熟的古代思想資源，回應現代社會面臨的道德困境，探索傳統德性倫理與現代教育、治理理念融合的合理路徑。

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. 思想淵源：對二程德性涵養理論的繼承與發展

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

任何有深度的思想建構，都離不開對先前思想資源的吸收與轉化；朱熹的 “修德為本” 命題，正是在繼承二程理學核心資源的基礎上，逐步深化、體系化的理論成果。二程兄弟作為北宋理學的開創者，首次將 “天理” 確立為儒家道德的終極依據，搭建了儒家特有的內在超越式精神世界架構，為儒學提供了足以與佛老思想抗衡的理論深度；而朱熹則以二程的理論地基為起點，將他們關於德性涵養的零散論述，整合為一套本末有序、內外交修的完整 “修德” 理論體系。

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.

這一繼承與發展的過程，並非簡單的理論延續，而是包含着明確的問題意識與針對性建構。二程已將 “天理” 這一至高價值，貫通於人的心性、行為與社會倫理規範 —— 這意味着，道德修養不再是單純的外在行為約束，而是回歸人所本有的 “天理” 之性，實現人之為人的價值根本；朱熹則進一步將這一形而上的邏輯，落地為明確的、可次第踐行的修養路徑，把 “修德” 確立為整個理學工夫論的核心基準。

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.

具體而言，朱熹對二程思想的傳承與理論推進，集中體現在三個維度：

其一，在理論根基上，以程頤的 “涵養須用敬，進學則在致知” 為核心工夫框架，將二程不同方向的理論發展整合成雙線並行的完整修養路徑。二程兄弟的思想本存在細微但關鍵的差異：程顥側重內心的道德覺悟，主張 “識仁”“定性”，強調對天理的直覺體悟，這一思路後來啟發了陸王心學；程頤則側重外在的 “居敬” 與 “窮理” 並舉，強調嚴肅的自我存養與主動的對外在事物規律的探求，這是朱熹理學的直接思想源頭。朱熹三十九歲時編成《程氏遺書》，系統總結二程的思想遺產，將他們的核心主張概括為 “涵養須用敬，進學則在致知”—— 這一論斷被他奉為學者立身進步的核心原則，也成為其 “修德為本” 思想的重要理論源頭。

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，在理論深化上，朱熹將二程的 “敬”“致知” 等工夫，從零散的修養方法，整合為 “居敬窮理”、內外交互支撐的完整修德體系。二程首次將 “主一無適” 明確為 “敬” 的核心定義，強調精神的專一集中；朱熹則進一步將 “敬” 從一種單純的精神狀態，細化為貫穿修養全過程的獨立工夫維度：它既是內在的 “收斂身心”“主一無適”，即時刻保持對天理的自覺堅守，不被私慾牽引；也是外在的 “整齊嚴肅”，即通過儀錶、行為的規範，來穩固內在的道德狀態。更關鍵的是，朱熹將 “居敬” 與 “窮理” 深度綁定：“敬” 是貫穿 “窮理” 全過程的內在精神前提 —— 只有保持專一、敬畏的心態，才能真正在探究事物之理的過程中，實現德性的涵養；反之，“窮理”釐清倫理的邊界，為修身提供了認知錨點。這種整合將二程提出的零散修身方法，轉化為一條系統且可行的實踐路徑。

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，在理論建構的現實指向上，朱熹突出了 “修德” 的根本性地位。二程雖重視道德修養，但更多是從 “識仁”“窮理” 的角度展開論述，並未明確將修德確立為整個儒學體系的核心基礎；而朱熹則直面南宋學風的現實弊病，將二程的工夫論主張，與《大學》的 “修身為本” 綱領直接銜接，首次將 “修德” 明確為從為學、做事到治國的根本前提。他在《白鹿洞書院揭示》中開宗明義，直接點明古代聖賢教人為學的根本目的，不是積累知識、獲取功名利祿，而是 “講明義理，以修其身”—— 這一論斷，正式將修德確立為儒家教育的核心目標，也奠定了其整個德性倫理體系的價值基調。

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.

從思想發展的邏輯來看，朱熹對二程思想的繼承，並非無批判的全盤接受，而是基於時代思想語境的創造性重構。二程的洛學，只是搭建了理學的基本框架，提出了核心的工夫論方向；而朱熹不僅通過 “理一分殊” 等理論，完善了理學的形而上體系，將 “天理” 與 “修德” 的邏輯關聯闡釋得更加透徹，更將二程之後略顯零散的理學修養方法，整合成一套由內而外、本末貫通的完整修德實踐體系。這一理論推進，既接續了北宋以來的理學發展傳統，更將儒學的關注重心，從抽象的形而上思辨拉回現實的道德實踐層面，為後續矯正學風流弊、重構完整的成德之教，埋下了理論伏筆。

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. 歷史背景：對南宋學風與士風的現實批判

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

思想的誕生從來不是純粹的邏輯推演，而是思想家對其所面臨的時代困境的直接回應。朱熹將 “修德為本” 標舉為儒家思想的核心命題，一個重要動因，是對南宋社會思想界現實弊病的深刻反思 —— 他目睹當時的學術界與士人群體，普遍陷入兩種相互關聯的偏差：其一是受佛老思想影響，片面追求抽象的內心覺悟，空談心性，完全脫離現實的人倫實踐；其二是把為學等同於記誦辭章、雕琢文句，以追求功名利祿為目標，完全忽視自身的道德涵養。在朱熹看來，這兩種傾向都會導致人們偏離儒家 “為己之學” 的根本正途，最終造成整個社會的價值崩壞、風俗頹靡。

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.

在朱熹的觀察中，當時的學風存在着嚴重的 “二本” 顛倒問題：整個社會的為學方向，完全偏離了聖賢之學的本意 —— 學者們不是致力於涵養自身的德行、踐行人倫實踐，而是沉迷於兩類偏離根本的 “末事”：或是空談性命天理的抽象理論，說一些玄遠高深、卻無切實用處的道理；或是一味沉溺於瑣碎的辭章訓詁、華麗的文采雕琢，將為學視作獲取功名利祿的工具。更讓他痛心的是，還有一批受佛老思想影響的學者，將 “讀書窮理” 視作阻礙心靈覺悟的負累，乾脆完全放棄知識學習和道德實踐，片面追求所謂的 “內心覺悟”，卻完全脫離了現實的人倫日常。在朱熹看來，這種 “本亂而末治” 的顛倒，正是造成士風衰退、社會價值崩解的核心原因。

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.

與這種病態的學風相伴而生的，是士風的持續衰頹 —— 在朱熹的描述中，當時的士人階層，也就是社會的精英群體，普遍將功名利祿視為人生的核心追求，將道德修養視作無用的負累；即使是那些談論道德、探究天理的學者，也往往將其當作獲取名聲、標榜自我的工具，並非出於內心的真實認同。整個社會的價值體系被嚴重扭曲，群體的道德意識陷入空前的混亂與麻木。

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.

在朱熹的邏輯里，學風流弊與士風頹靡，二者並非線性的因果關係，而是相互強化、雙向作用的閉環：學風的空疏或功利，會直接塑造出缺乏道德根基的士人；而士人的功利化、世俗化，又會反過來進一步強化不健康的學風。要打破這個惡性質環，僅靠局部的學風調整或道德說教無濟於事，必須在理論和實踐的源頭，重新確立正確的價值基準 —— 於是，“修德為本” 便作為根本性的對治之策被提出，這是基於對現實弊病的深刻洞察而開出的救世良方。

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.

從思想發展的脈絡來看，朱熹的這一主張，既承接了儒家傳統中 “德”為根本的治世理念，也是對二程思想的進一步推進：二程雖提出 “敬” 與 “致知” 的雙線修養路徑，但尚未對治當時整個學界的空疏弊病；朱熹則將 “修德” 明確為 “敬” 與 “致知” 的核心目標和根本依託，主張通過 “主敬”“窮理” 的雙向工夫，實現對天理的真切體認，將其落實到日常的人倫實踐之中，從而在根源上矯正空疏或功利化的為學方向，將學風、士風拉回儒家的 “為己之學” 正軌。

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."

基於這一現實目標，朱熹將 “修德為本” 的命題，直接轉化為可落地的教育實踐綱領。在《白鹿洞書院揭示》中，他明確將 “講明義理，以修其身” 規定為教育的根本目的，將修身之要、處事之要、接物之要，確立為學子的基本遵循；他還重新整理編排儒家經典，將《大學》從《禮記》中獨立出來，列為 “四書” 之首，通過《大學章句》，將 “格物、致知、誠意、正心、修身、齊家、治國、平天下” 的完整修養次序，標定為學子踐行修德的核心路徑。這一系列舉措，本質是在教育實踐層面，重新確立 “修德” 的優先性，從根本上扭轉讀書為做官、治學為名利的錯誤價值導向。

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.

可以說，朱熹對 “修德” 的極端強調，有着鮮明的現實指涉性：所謂 “本亂而末治者否矣”，正是他對時代病症的精準診斷 —— 在他看來，道德修養是學術探究和事業建功的根本依託；離開這個根本，無論是知識的積累、文章的雕琢，還是事功的建立，都只會墜入偏邪之途，甚至反過來助長惡行、放大弊端。他提出 “修德為本”，絕非單純的理論創新，而是要重建儒家的成德之教，為當時的學術界、士人群體找到真正的 “入德之門”，重塑社會的價值體系，實現人心的歸正與社會的治理。

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. 理論架構：“修德為本” 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

“修德為本” 並非朱熹隨意提出的孤立論斷，而是他接續先秦儒家 “為己之學” 的根本宗旨、重新闡釋《大學》“三綱領八條目” 核心邏輯的理論結果 —— 這一命題，清晰地指明了道德修養在儒家整個成德實踐體系中的基礎性、根本性地位，是理解儒家 “修己以安人”“內聖外王” 理想人格實現機制的關鍵線索。

"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，其核心目標是實現道德人格的完善，培養出 “明明德、親民、止於至善” 的理想人格 —— 這一目標，從先秦的孔孟，到北宋的周敦頤、二程，代代相傳，是儒家區別於其他思想流派的核心標識。而朱熹通過重新闡釋《大學》的內在邏輯，將這一抽象的人格理想，轉化為次序分明、可逐層踐行的完整實踐路徑，明確了 “修德” 作為基礎項的根本性地位：“修德” 是實現 “明明德” 的根本前提，是 “格物致知” 的價值歸宿，也是從內在道德完善，到外在社會價值實現的轉捩點。這一架構是對儒家成德之教的重要理論發展，賦予了傳統道德修養論更加嚴密的邏輯和切實的可行性。

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 修德與《大學》“三綱領八條目” 的邏輯關係

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

朱熹的 “修德為本” 思想，其經典依據完全出自《禮記》中的《大學》篇 —— 這篇不長的儒家文獻，經過二程的推崇和朱熹的重新整理、注釋，成為南宋之後儒家思想的綱領性文獻；其中 “三綱領八條目” 所揭示的道德修養邏輯，被朱熹視作整個儒學 “修己治人” 的根本規模。在《大學章句》中，朱熹將《大學》的核心思想，概括為 “三綱領” 與 “八條目”——“三綱領” 是 “明明德”“親民”“止於至善”，這是道德修養的終極目標；“八條目” 則是實現這一目標的八個具體步驟，即格物、致知、誠意、正心、修身、齊家、治國、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.

在朱熹看來，“三綱領” 是道德修養的終極價值引領，而 “八條目” 則是實現這一目標的逐層實踐路徑；二者並非平行關係，而是目標與手段、本體與工夫的高度統一。他進一步將 “八條目” 分為內外兩個層面：格物、致知、誠意、正心、修身，屬於 “明明德” 的內聖工夫，聚焦於個體的內在德性涵養；齊家、治國、平天下，屬於 “親民” 的外王事業，是內在德性在社會領域的拓展與外化。而 “修身”，也就是修德，則是連接內聖與外王、貫通道德理想與政治實踐的核心樞紐：此前的格物、致知、誠意、正心，是為了充實 “修身” 的內在根基；此後的齊家、治國、平天下，則是 “修身” 的外在延伸與自然結果。

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."

基於這一邏輯，朱熹進一步申明了 “修德” 的根本性地位：“修身以上，明明德之事也；齊家以下，新民之事也。” 意思是，從格物到修身，都是不斷明晰、完善自身本有明德的過程；而從齊家到治國平天下，都是將這種內在的德性，推廣、惠及他人的實踐過程。在他看來，“明明德” 與 “新民” 並非兩截，而是有着嚴格的先後次序與本末關係：只有先完成 “明明德” 的內聖工夫，將自身的德性修養完善，才能穩妥地進行 “新民” 的外王事業；如果這個根本沒有確立，僅僅依靠外在的知識積累或制度設計，想要實現社會層面的成功實踐，是絕無可能的。

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.

這一次序的不可顛倒性，正是《大學》反覆強調的 “其本亂而末治者否矣” 的核心意涵 —— 朱熹將這一原則，從單純的道德修養路徑，上升為整個儒家 “修己以安人” 理想的底層邏輯。這也意味着，“修德” 不是一個階段性的任務，而是貫穿《大學》所有條目的一根主線；無論對於帝王還是普通百姓，修身都是做人的根本前提，是實現一切社會價值的基礎。

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 修德與 “格物致知”“誠意正心” 的工夫論關係

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

在朱熹的德性修養體系中，“修德為本” 不是孤立的工夫，而是與 “格物致知”“誠意正心” 等具體修養工夫，形成了一種本末、體用、主次分明的動態結構。其中，“修德” 是統帥、是根本目標；而 “格物致知”“誠意正心” 則是支撐這一根本目標的具體實踐路徑 —— 二者相輔相成、交互支撐，共同構成了儒家 “內聖” 工夫的完整體系。

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.

具體而言，“格物致知” 是修德的認知基礎與入門路徑。朱熹完全認同程頤 “今人學問，須是從頭格物致知” 的觀點，並在《大學章句》中專門補充了《大學》原文語焉不詳的 “格物致知” 傳義，將這一工夫界定為 “即物而窮其理”—— 即通過探究外在事物的規律，來領悟天理的整體內涵。在他的邏輯里，“天理” 不僅是宇宙萬物的運行規律，更是人類社會的倫理道德法則；每一事物都有其存在的 “理”，而道德之理就存在於日常的人倫日用之中。只有通過 “格物”，逐一探究事物之理，才能讓自己的認知逐漸明晰，最終實現對天理的 “豁然貫通”。這意味着，“格物致知” 的真正目的，不是探究客觀事物的自然規律，而是領悟儒家的倫理準則，為修德提供堅實的認知支撐；離開這一認知基礎，道德實踐就會陷入盲目，無法真正把握倫理行為的規範原則。

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.

“誠意正心” 則是修德的內在心理保障，是連接 “格物致知” 與 “修身” 的關鍵轉捩點。在朱熹看來，“格物致知” 屬於知識的積累，是對事物之理的認知領悟；但擁有認知，並不必然保證落實為正確的道德行為 —— 要將外在的認知，轉化為真實的德性修養，還需要經過 “誠意正心” 這一關鍵的內在心理凈化環節。朱熹將 “誠意” 定義為 “實其心之所發”，要求人在意念發動之時，就能做到真實無妄，不自欺欺人，如同 “惡惡臭”“好好色” 一樣，發自內心地認同善、厭惡惡；而 “正心” 則是用通過格物所領悟到的天理，來規範、約束自己的心思，避免被私慾、偏頗的情緒所牽引，讓心始終處於中正、不偏不倚的狀態。

"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，朱熹並未將這幾個工夫，視作線性的先後遞進關係，而是以 “敬” 為貫通紐帶，構建了一個動態循環、相互促進的完整修養模式。他繼承二程 “主一無適” 的界定，將 “敬” 確立為貫穿所有工夫的核心精神線索：在格物致知時，需要保持 “敬” 的專一、敬畏心態，才能不被外物干擾，真實、透徹地探究事物之理；在誠意正心時，需要保持 “敬” 的內無妄思、外無妄動狀態，才能時刻堅守天理，不被私慾牽引；在具體的修身實踐中，更需要通過 “敬” 來收斂身心，規範自己的一言一行，讓外在的行為，完全符合內在的道德認知，實現內外的交相滋養。

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.

這一完整的邏輯鏈條，清晰地指明了 “修德” 在諸工夫中的核心地位：“格物致知” 是為了探明道德之理，“誠意正心” 是為了守住道德之本，而 “主敬” 則是貫穿整個修養過程的精神狀態與行為準則。所有的具體工夫，最終都要落到 “修德” 這一根本目標上；離開這個根本，“格物致知” 就會淪為沒有道德方向的知識積累，“誠意正心” 也會失去明確的價值依託，最終都將走向偏途。

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 修德的實踐次第：從 “小學” 工夫到 “大學” 工夫

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

朱熹 “修德為本” 的思想，不是抽象的理論原則，而是被他細化為一套覆蓋從兒童到成人、從日常行為規範到抽象道德認知的完整的、可逐層踐行的實踐體系。這一體系的核心邏輯，是根據不同年齡的認知特點，明確不同階段的修德任務，循序漸進，從基礎的行為規範入手，最終實現對天理的領悟與道德人格的完善。

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.

朱熹將人的道德修養，明確劃分為 “小學” 與 “大學” 兩個標準階段，並專門編寫《小學》《近思錄》作為教材，分別適配不同階段的修德目標。在他看來，六歲到十五歲的兒童 “小學” 階段，是修德的根基時期 —— 這個階段的兒童，還無法理解高深的道德義理，因此不需要進行抽象的理論灌輸，只需要教授他們 “灑掃應對進退” 的日常禮儀、孝悌忠信的基本人倫規範，比如侍奉父母、尊重兄長、與朋友相處的基本規則。通過這些日常的具體行為實踐，讓兒童在潛移默化中養成良好的行為習慣，逐步培養對道德規範的基本認同感，為後續的深入德行修養築牢根基。

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.

十五歲之後的 “大學” 階段，則是修德的深化時期 —— 在這一階段，修養的重心從具體的行為規範，上升為抽象的道德義理探究。他認為，此時的學習者已經具備基本的認知能力，需要通過 “格物致知” 的工夫，去探究事物之所以然的道理，明白為什麼要遵守這些人倫規範，從而將小學階段養成的習慣，上升為對天理的理性認知，完成從行為自覺到道德自覺的理論升華。

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.

但無論哪個階段，修德都是核心的主線，這一階段劃分的本質，是將 “修德” 這一抽象的終極目標，拆解為不同階段、可逐步踐行的切實任務，用紮實的日常行為訓練和深度的理論探究，雙重築牢道德根基。在朱熹的教育邏輯里，小學階段的行為規範訓練，是大學階段深入領悟道德義理的必要基礎；如果在小學階段沒有養成良好的道德習慣，大學階段的格物致知、正心誠意，就會缺乏內在的根基，難以真正落地。

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.

朱熹不僅提出了階段劃分，還為修德制定了具體的踐行路徑，將《白鹿洞書院揭示》里的 “修身之要”“處事之要”“接物之要” 作為核心實踐準則。其核心邏輯是，修德不是遠離日常的空談，而是要在人倫日用的實處下工夫：對父母要孝順、對兄弟要恭敬、對朋友要講信義；每一次待人接物的選擇，都要遵循 “義” 的準則，做到處事公正、待人謙和、嚴於律己、寬以待人。通過日復一日的 “居敬” 與 “窮理” 交互踐行，個體就能實現道德人格的完善，抵達 “止於至善” 的終極境界。

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."

這一整套實踐次第的設計，充分體現了朱熹 “修德為本” 思想的務實性：在他看來，成德不是靠靜坐覺悟、空談義理就能實現的，必須從基礎的行為工夫做起，從實處下工夫，逐步積累、層層深入，才能將外在的倫理規範，內化為穩定的道德品格，實現真正意義上的成德。

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. 現實意義：“修德為本” 與當代道德教育的多維度回應

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

朱熹的 “修德為本” 思想，是中國傳統德性倫理的重要組成部分；在當代社會，價值多元、技術變革，道德教育面臨著前所未有的複雜挑戰，重新審視這一傳統思想，能夠為現代德育提供不容忽視的借鑒和理論支撐。但需要明確的是，這種審視絕非全盤復古，而是在批判性過濾其歷史局限性的基礎上，進行創造性轉化，挖掘其中具有普遍價值的思想內核，回應現代社會的德育困境，探索傳統德性倫理與現代教育融合的合理路徑。

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，與現代德育理念的對話

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

在價值多元、文化多樣的當代社會，道德教育面臨著多種倫理文化、價值觀念、思想流派的衝突與選擇。如何對待不同的道德教育思想和倫理精神資源，形成適應當代社會的道德共識，是現代德育無法迴避的現實問題。朱熹的 “修德為本” 思想，作為一種有着上千年曆史的完整德性倫理體系，並非與現代理念截然對立，反而可以通過創造性轉化，與現代德育理念形成互補、融合的良性互動。

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.

實現這種融合的理論基礎，是朱熹 “理一分殊” 的世界觀 —— 這一思想，深刻揭示了中華文明突出的包容性，也為多元文化下的道德共識構建，提供了重要的理論支撐。朱熹用 “月印萬川” 的生動比喻，解釋 “理一分殊” 的內涵：天上的月亮是 “理一”，江河湖海中倒映的萬千月影則是 “分殊”；這意味着，道德的根本價值本體是普遍、絕對、超越時空的，而在不同文化、不同時代的具體表現和實踐方式，則可以是多樣、差異、多元的。這一邏輯，為現代社會處理道德共識與文化差異的關係，提供了可貴的思路：在終極價值層面，可以堅守一些普遍的道德原則；但在具體實踐層面，則可以包容不同文化、不同群體的差異化道德實踐，實現道德共識與多元文化的和諧共生。

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.

從具體的德育實踐維度來看，“修德為本” 與現代德育理念的融合，可以從三個維度展開：

一是在價值基礎層面，將儒家的德性倫理與現代社會的普遍倫理相結合。朱熹所倡導的 “仁、義、禮、智、信”“孝悌忠信” 等傳統道德規範，以及 “仁愛”“中和”“誠敬” 等道德核心價值，是中華文明的重要精神根系，具有跨越時空的穩定性和共通性。這些價值理念，與現代社會的公民道德、職業道德、家庭美德有着高度的契合性，可以經過現代詮釋，轉化為當代社會的基礎道德準則，為現代德育提供堅實的歷史支撐和精神根基。

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.

二是在核心理念層面，將 “修德為本” 與現代 “立德樹人” 的教育根本任務深度對接，實現二者的價值貫通。現代教育強調 “育人為本，德育為先”，這一理念與朱熹將 “修德” 作為教育的根本目標、強調 “先成人後成才” 的核心思想，有着高度的價值共鳴。朱熹在《白鹿洞書院揭示》中明確提出，聖賢教人為學的目的，是 “講明義理，以修其身”；這與現代教育 “培養德智體美勞全面發展的社會主義建設者和接班人” 的目標，在底層邏輯上是相通的 —— 二者都將塑造健全的道德人格，作為教育的首要核心目標；都不把知識積累或技能培養，當成教育的終極目的，而是強調知識與技能的學習，必須以道德養成為基礎、為歸宿。這一價值共識，成為傳統修德思想與現代德育理念融合的核心橋樑。

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.

三是在方法層面，將傳統的 “居敬”“窮理”“內省”“慎獨” 等修養方法，與現代德育方法和路徑相結合，打通古代的修養方法與現代的德育實踐路徑。例如，朱熹所倡導的 “熟讀精思”“虛心涵泳” 的讀書法，強調自主體悟、獨立思考；“居敬持志” 的修養法，強調專一的態度、持久的定力；“切己體察” 的實踐法，強調結合自身實際、在日常人倫中踐行；以及 “內省”“慎獨” 等注重自我道德反省的方法，都可以經過創造性轉化，與現代德育中的價值澄清法、道德對話法、情境實踐法、榜樣示範法等教學方法融合，構建更加豐富、更具實操性的現代德育教學體系。

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，朱子學在海外的廣泛傳播，也為這種融合提供了現實基礎。朱子學不僅在中國傳統社會佔據主導地位，還早在中世紀就傳播到朝鮮、日本、越南等國家，成為東亞文明的重要精神內核，甚至對歐洲的啟蒙思想家也產生了一定影響。這一跨文化傳播的歷史軌跡說明，“修德為本” 的德性倫理，具有突破文化隔閡的價值內核，可以成為不同文明之間開展道德對話、尋求價值共識的重要精神介質。在當代社會，挖掘這一思想資源，可以為多元文化下的道德共識構建，提供切實可行的精神基礎。

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 辯證平衡：“修德為本” 與現代教育個性化發展的協同邏輯

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

現代教育強調尊重學生的個性差異，挖掘個體的獨特潛能，支持學生的個性化發展；而朱熹的 “修德為本” 思想，將道德修養作為所有人的共同追求、作為教育的核心目標，看似與個性化發展的理念存在矛盾 —— 實則不然。朱熹的思想中，蘊含著 “共性個性統一” 的辯證教育原則；他所強調的道德根本目標的普遍性，並不意味着要取消個體的差異、壓制個性的發展；相反，道德的共性發展與人格的個性成長，是可以實現辯證統一、和諧共生的。

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.

朱熹的教育邏輯，本身就包含着對個體差異的尊重和因材施教的底層設計；這是二者能夠實現平衡的關鍵前提。一方面，朱熹將 “修德” 確立為教育的首要目標，強調 “先成人後成才”—— 在他看來，德行是學問、能力的根本依託；一個人如果沒有德行，即使掌握再多的知識、具備再強的能力，也只會對社會造成更大的危害。這是所有教育活動必須堅守的共同價值基礎，是不能被任何個性化發展需求突破的底線。另一方面，朱熹並不主張用刻板的標準來約束所有學生，反而高度重視學生的個性差異、氣質差異、學習節奏差異，強調教育要 “因材施教”，根據學生的不同特點，選擇適配的教學方法、設計適配的學習路徑，讓不同特質的學生都能在修德的基礎上，最大化發展自身的個性與潛能。

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.

具體而言，朱熹設計的教育體系，從兩個維度保障了共性與個性的平衡：

一是在教育目標層面，確立 “德體智用”“以德御才” 的核心原則。朱熹將道德修養比作 “根柢”，將知識才能比作 “枝葉”—— 枝葉的生長必須依賴根柢的滋養，而根柢的價值，也需要通過枝葉的繁茂來體現。這一邏輯，明確了二者的辯證關係：“修德” 是教育的共同基礎和根本前提，無論學生未來發展什麼特長、走何種職業道路，都必須先夯實德行基礎，完成基本的道德修養；而個性化發展，則是在這一共同前提下的自然延伸 —— 教育的作用，就是在堅守德育底線的基礎上，挖掘、保護、發展學生的獨特潛能，讓個體的才能在道德的框架內得到最大化的發展。這一思路，與現代教育中 “培養全面發展的人” 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."

二是在教育實踐層面，構建 “階段差異 + 因材施教” 的柔性實施框架。朱熹不僅提出了 “小學 - 大學” 的分段教育設計，還進一步細化了不同階段的教育方法，為個性發展提供了充足的空間。在小學階段，他主張在統一的行為規範教育基礎上，根據學生的不同特質，進行有針對性的引導，用不同的行為規範要求，去適配不同學生的氣質差異；到了大學階段，在統一的道德義理探究基礎上，更是鼓勵學生根據自己的興趣、資質、特長，選擇不同的深造方向，通過對不同領域的 “窮理”，實現不同方式的成德目標。朱熹的這一主張，被後世總結為 “孔子教人，各因其材” 的因材施教原則 —— 這一原則，也正是現代個性化教育的核心底層邏輯。

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.

在當代教育語境下，這種平衡邏輯具有極強的現實指導意義：現代教育尊重學生的個性化發展、注重保護學生的獨特性，是現代教育進步的重要標誌；但個性化發展不能背離道德底線，不能脫離基本的德性修養。借鑒朱熹的 “修德” 思想，當代教育需要在 “德行共性” 與 “個性發展” 之間找到精準的平衡點 —— 這個平衡點，就是 “立德樹人” 的根本標準：以道德修養為基礎前提，在統一的倫理價值框架內，尊重學生的資質差異、興趣差異和發展需求，通過差異化的教學方法、多樣化的課程選擇、個性化的成長路徑，實現道德人格與個性潛能的同步發展。

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.

這一平衡邏輯的本質，是用 “修德” 來校準個性化發展的價值方向，用個性化發展來拓寬 “修德” 的實踐路徑：讓學生在涵養德行的基礎上發展個性，在發展個性的過程中涵養德行，避免個性化發展走向罔顧道德底線的利己主義，也避免 “修德” 淪為抹殺個性、壓制創造力的精神束縛，實現健全人格與個性化才能的雙重發展。

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：“修德為本” 對治國理政、全球治理的支撐機制

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

儒家思想從來不是單純的道德教條，而是以 “修己以安人” 為核心指向的倫理政治體系；這一體系，以 “內聖外王” 為理想路徑，以 “修齊治平” 為實踐邏輯。朱熹的 “修德為本” 思想，作為《大學》“修齊治平” 邏輯的深化與展開，不僅適用於個體道德修養，也包含着一套完整的、由內而外的社會治理支撐機制 —— 從個體德行修養，延伸至家庭管理、國家治理、全球 “天下” 秩序建構，形成了連貫的、本末有序的倫理政治邏輯，為當代的國家治理與全球治理提供了寶貴的思想啟迪。

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.

這一支撐機制的核心邏輯，是《大學》中 “身修而後家齊，家齊而後國治，國治而後天下平” 的遞進式傳導鏈條。朱熹將這一邏輯進一步理論化，明確了 “修德” 作為治理基礎的核心地位：在他看來，上到帝王將相，下到平民百姓，一律要以修德作為根本；個體的道德修養，是家庭和睦、社會和諧、國家安定、天下太平的邏輯起點與前提條件。這一機制可以細化為四個逐層遞進的傳導環節，每個環節都有明確的理論支撐：

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、家庭道德共同體建設的基礎前提。家庭是社會的基本細胞，是連接個體與社會的重要紐帶；在儒家 “修齊治平” 的邏輯鏈條中，“齊家” 是 “修身” 的直接外化路徑，也是 “治國、平天下” 的基礎傳導中介。朱熹進一步將這一邏輯具體化：在家庭中，父母兄弟的道德修養，是塑造家庭良好倫理氛圍的關鍵；只有先端正自己的言行舉止，具備孝順、恭敬、慈愛、信義等德行，才能以自己的道德言行去教育、感化家人，協調好父子、兄弟、夫妻之間的家庭倫理關係，實現家庭關係的和諧規整。而家庭作為社會的基本細胞，家庭的德化氛圍，會直接影響社會的整體風氣 —— 如果每個家庭都能做到父慈子孝、兄友弟恭，整個社會的道德風尚自然會趨於良善。

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，家庭的德化氛圍，是國家治理、政治秩序穩定的基礎傳導中介。朱熹認為，治國的根本邏輯與齊家是相通的，只不過應用的範圍更廣、影響更深遠；家庭中的孝悌慈愛等道德倫理規範，本質上就是政治原則在家庭中的具體體現。對國家治理者而言，只有自己具備了良好的道德修養，才能推己及人，以道德的方式治理國家；對普通民眾而言，只有在家庭中養成了孝悌忠信的道德品質，才能在社會上安分守己、忠於職守，自覺遵守社會的法律規範和公共道德。當 “修德” 從個體層面延伸到家庭層面，再進一步拓展到國家層面時，整個國家的社會秩序、道德風尚就有了堅實的內在支撐。

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，國家治理者的修德，是實現德治、仁政的關鍵前提。朱熹繼承了儒家傳統的 “德治” 思想，將 “修德” 的主體重點指向國家治理群體，也就是社會的治理者；這是其 “修德為本” 思想在政治領域的核心應用。在朱熹看來，“政”“刑” 只是治理的輔助手段，只能通過強制力量約束百姓的行為，讓百姓被動遵守法律；而 “德”“禮” 才是治理的根本，能夠通過國家治理者的道德表率和禮儀教化，感化、引導百姓自覺遵守道德規範。因此，他強調 “以德為本”，認為只有國家治理者先涵養自身的德行，端正自身的道德行為，才能形成強有力的道德感召力，通過上行下效的傳導機制，感化百姓、重塑社會風氣，實現社會的穩定、國家的安定。這一思路，也與現代治理理論中 “官員道德建設” 的基礎性作用，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” 的推廣，是實現天下太平、世界秩序和諧的文化與道德基礎。朱熹的 “修德為本” 思想，並不局限於國家內部的治理邏輯，而是進一步延伸到國際秩序、全球治理的 “平天下” 維度 —— 這一延伸的理論基礎，是朱子學 “天下一統”“協和萬邦” 的世界觀，以及 “仁”“中和” 的道德價值。在朱熹看來，“天下” 是一個超越國家、民族的道德共同體；要實現天下太平，必須以 “修德” 為基礎，將 “仁愛”“中和”“誠信” 等道德價值，從國內推廣到不同國家、不同文明之間，用道德的感召力、倫理的約束力，來協調國際關係、處理國際紛爭、構建國際秩序，實現世界的和諧共處。

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.

這一整套由內而外、由個體到社會、由國內到全球的傳導機制，具有鮮明的 “倫理政治化、政治倫理化” 特徵，為現代社會理解道德與治理的關聯、構建治理體系提供了重要的思想資源。在現代國家治理語境下，這一機制的價值在於：它指明了法治與德治之間的辯證關係 —— 法律是由國家強制力保證實施的外在行為規範，以其權威性約束人們的言行；而道德則是內心的法律，是自覺自律的內在價值約束；法律的有效實施，需要道德作為內在支撐；如果整個社會的道德體系崩壞，法律制度再縝密，也很難單獨維持良好的社會秩序。在當代社會，治理體系的現代化，需要以道德修養為基礎支撐，將法治的他律與德治的自律相結合，實現法律的外在強制與道德的內在約束的協同互補。

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.

而在全球治理層面，朱熹的 “修德” 思想，同樣具有不可替代的借鑒價值。當前，全球治理面臨著文明衝突、主義對立、利益紛爭等諸多現實挑戰，朱熹 “修德為本” 的思想，提供了一條以道德共識、文明互鑒、修好建立全球價值共識的路徑，為處理國際關係、化解文明衝突、重建全球治理體系提供了有益思路。

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 現代轉化：“修德為本” 對網絡道德建設的現實啟示

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

互聯網技術的普及，徹底重塑了人類的生活空間和交往方式，也催生了大量的新型道德問題 —— 網絡空間的匿名性、信息傳播的即時性、交往行為的虛擬性，極大降低了道德行為的外在約束強度，使得網絡謠言、網絡暴力、信息泄露、網絡欺詐等道德失范現象頻發，成為現代社會亟待解決的治理難題。如何在技術條件下規範網民的虛擬空間行為、構建健康的網絡道德秩序，是當代道德教育與社會治理共同面臨的複雜課題。朱熹的 “修德為本” 思想，雖誕生於前互聯網時代，但其關於道德自律、慎獨、自省的修養理念，為解決這一現代難題提供了珍貴的思想武器，具有重要的現實啟示價值。

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.

網絡道德建設的核心困境，在於外在監督機制的弱化導致的道德失范行為頻發。在現實生活中，人們的道德行為，往往依賴法律、輿論、人際關係等外在監督機制的約束；但在匿名性、虛擬性、開放性的網絡空間，外在監督機制的覆蓋範圍和實施效果被大幅削弱，人與人之間的交往沒有了現實場景的約束，行為的後果往往不會直接反饋到行為者本人，這就導致不少人在網絡中放鬆了道德約束，表現出現實中不會出現的惡行。解決這一問題的關鍵，正在於朱熹 “修德為本” 所強調的，把外在的道德規範轉化為內在的道德自覺。

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.

朱熹的德性修養思想中，有三大核心理念，恰好對治網絡空間的道德困境，為網絡道德建設提供了清晰的實踐方向：

其一，“慎獨” 思想，是治理網絡道德失范的核心關鍵。“慎獨” 是儒家德性修養的核心概念，也是朱熹 “修德為本” 思想的重要組成部分；朱熹將 “獨” 字解釋為 “人所不知而己獨知之地”，這與網絡空間的行為特徵高度契合 —— 在虛擬的網絡空間，人們的行為往往是 “獨知” 的：一個人在現實中的行為有很多人見證，但在網絡中發表言論、瀏覽信息、發起交往，往往是獨自進行的，沒有現實中的他人監督。在朱熹看來，真正的道德修養，恰恰體現在這種 “人所不知而己獨知” 的場景中 —— 即使沒有任何外在監督、沒有現實場景的約束，自己的內心也必須保持清醒的道德自覺，做到言行一致、人前人後一致，不對他人造成傷害。這一理念，正是網絡道德建設需要的核心精神資源。

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” 涵養的態度，是塑造良好網絡行為的內在約束基礎。朱熹繼承二程 “主一無適” 的定義，將 “敬” 提煉為貫穿道德修養全過程的核心精神狀態 —— 這一概念，本質上是強調對自己的道德行為的主動剋制、自我約束、自覺監督，讓內心始終保持敬畏、謹慎的狀態，不會因為缺乏外在監督而肆意妄為。在網絡空間，“居敬” 的修養，能夠讓人們在接觸海量信息、面對紛繁複雜的網絡場景時，保持清醒的理性和敬畏的態度，不被自己的偏私慾望和片面情緒牽引，自覺遵守道德規範和公序良俗，不發表傷害他人的言論，不傳播虛假有害的信息，建立起一道堅固的內在道德防線。

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” 的修養方法，是提升網絡道德水平的重要實踐路徑。朱熹強調，道德修養不是一蹴而就的，而是需要長期堅持的 “省察克治” 功夫 —— 所謂省察，就是要經常反省自己的行為和念頭，是否有違背天理、違背道德規範的地方；所謂克治，就是要在發現自己的偏向時，主動進行自我糾正，及時剋制、消除過分的私慾和錯誤的念頭。這一方法，可以直接應用於網絡道德實踐：人們需要在網絡活動中，時刻保持自我反省的意識，自覺檢查自己的網絡言行，是否符合公序良俗和道德規範；在出現不當言論、衝動行為的傾向時，主動加以剋制；在意識到自己的行為傷害到他人時，及時改正、主動補救，將外在的道德規範，逐步轉化為穩定的道德行為習慣。

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.

從社會層面來看，朱熹的 “修德為本” 思想，也為構建技術與人文協同的現代網絡綜合治理體系提供了重要的價值支撐。網絡治理需要法律的硬性約束、平台的算法規制、技術的溯源支撐，但這一切的基礎，是全體網民道德素養的提升；只有將道德教育與技術治理、制度建設相結合，才能從根源上減少網絡道德失范行為。這一思路，與現代網絡綜合治理體系的建設邏輯高度契合 —— 在完善他律機制的同時，必須加強網民的德性修養教育，將 “慎獨”“居敬”“自省” 等傳統修養理念，轉化為網絡時代的公共道德準則，讓外在的制度約束、技術約束，與內在的道德自覺形成協同合力，構建健康、文明、向上的網絡生態空間。

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.

結語

朱熹的 “修德為本” 思想，是在繼承二程德性涵養理論、批判矯正南宋學風流弊、重構儒家成德之教的過程中逐步形成的，是對先秦儒家《大學》修身思想的理學化闡釋。它以 “天理” 為形上依據，以 “居敬窮理” 為核心工夫，以《大學》“三綱領八條目” 為邏輯框架，以 “明明德、親民、止於至善” 為終極目標，構建了一套從日常行為規範到抽象道德認知、從個體修身立德到國家治理、天下太平的完整德性修養體系；這套體系，不僅深度塑造了中國傳統社會的價值取向，也為當代社會的道德建設、教育發展、國家治理與全球治理，提供了不可替代的思想資源。

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.

在當代社會，價值觀念多元、技術發展迅猛、社會治理環境日趨複雜，道德建設面臨著前所未有的挑戰。在這樣的時代背景下，重新審視朱熹的 “修德為本” 思想，不是要全盤復古、回到傳統的道德教條中去，而是要對其進行創造性轉化、創新性發展，提取其中適用於現代社會的普遍性、合理的思想內核，重新發掘傳統德性倫理蘊含的人文精神，與現代社會的價值共識、制度建設相融合。

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.

具體來看，這一思想對當今社會的重要價值，主要體現在四個維度：在道德教育領域，它是 “立德樹人” 教育目標的重要思想支撐，為扭轉重知識輕德行的教育偏差、構建完善的德育體系提供了明確的價值方向；在個人發展領域，它為現代人們提供了一套切實可行的自我修養方法，為實現人格的完善、個性的健康發展提供了堅實的道德基礎；在國家治理領域，它指明了德治與法治辯證關係的根本邏輯，為當代社會推進以德治國、推進國家治理體系現代化提供了重要的理論借鑒；在全球治理領域，它所蘊含的 “中和”“仁愛”“理一分殊” 的思想，為化解文明衝突、構建人類命運共同體、重建全球道德共識提供了珍貴的文化資源。

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 “修德為本” 思想，並非與現代社會割裂的古老思想遺產，而是具有強大生命力的思想資源；它所揭示的道德發展規律，所倡導的道德價值理念，所設計的道德實踐路徑，對今天的道德建設與社會發展仍然有着不可替代的參考價值。深入挖掘這一思想的時代價值，推動傳統德性倫理與現代社會的深度融合，賦能當代道德建設，對構建安定有序的社會風尚、培養全面發展的現代人格、實現人類社會的和諧發展具有重要意義。

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