孟子的王道思想,源自堯舜的「禪讓政治」─「天與之、天受之"Heaven gave it to him, Heaven accepted him."」「民與之、 民受之"The people gave it to him, the people accepted him."」「天視自我民視"Heaven sees according as my people see."」「天聽自我民聽"Heaven hears according as my people hear."」的主權在民概念。
故謂:「民為貴,社稷次之,君為輕。是故,得乎丘民而為天子。"The people are the most important element in a nation, the spirits of the land and grain are the next, the sovereign(emperor) is the lightest. Therefore to gain the peasantry is the way to become sovereign(emperor).James Legge,The Works of Mencius,op cit.,p.483""」(孟子盡心下)
「三代之得天下也,以仁;其失天下也,以不仁。It was by benevolence that the three dynasties gained the throne, and by not being benevolent that they lost it.Ibid.p.293"」「天子不仁,不保四海,諸侯不仁,不保社稷,卿大夫不仁,不保宗廟,土庶人不仁,不保四體。"If the sovereign(emperor) be not benevolent, he cannot preserve the throne from passing from him. If the head of a state(the prince) be not benevolent, he cannot preserve his rule. If a high noble or great officer be not benevolent, he cannot preserve his ancestral temple. If a scholar or common man be not benevolent, he cannot preserve his four limbs.Ibid.p.294"」(孟子離婁上)
「仁」是王道的核心價值,仁政是王道的具體呈現。而孟子的仁政慨念,乃取法於西伯姬昌(周文王)的治理西歧,其所施行的仁政。
周文王以「耕者九一"The husbandmen cultivated for the government one-ninth of the land",仕者世祿"The descendants of officers were enjoyed hereditary emolument"」等仁政(見孟子梁惠王下),治理西岐。
耕者九一,即助而不稅的井田制,乃八家私百畝,同養百畝公田,替代稅賦,耕者有其田。因此,每戶五畝農舍,種桑養蠶養雞養豬,男耕女織,五十衣帛、七十食肉,不凍不餒。「孝悌」普行於鄉里,西伯善養老者,傳於四方。(孟子離婁上、盡心上)天下之農,皆悅而願耕於其野。(孟子公孫丑上)
仕者世祿,即出仕做官的人,其子孫皆得繼承其俸祿,世世代代亨有祿田。仕者退職後,回歸田園生活,自力耕食。耕者有其田,世代子孫衣食豐足。故而,賢能俊傑之士,樂於效命西岐。(同上)
「耕者九一」與「仕者世祿」,其精神乃在,「有恒產者,則有恒心"If they have a certain livelihood, it follows that they will have a fixed heart."」。旨在,使得農民、士人皆有恒產,以保持行仁的恒心。
「恒產」「恒心」,已俱「不可剝奪權利」與「道德不能剝奪」的概念,乃王道不可或缺的元素。
文王次子,姬發(周武王)在此仁政的基礎,得以號召天下,共同推翻紂王的暴政。然而,「井田制」與「世祿制」經納入封建體系後,恒產、恒心的概念,變成永遠不變(恒)的身分(status)。
封建諸侯亨有世襲的爵位和封邑,士、大夫卿亦享有世襲的俸祿、祿田。因而,取得地主的永久地位。其恒產制度化,其恒心在乎?
而農民成為永久世襲的佃農,沒有耕地的所有權,收成被層層剝削,恒產何在?離「農奴」不遠,其恒心何以存在?
尤其,封建貴族,得到天子的封賜,並未得到該封邑人民的同意,帶領大批軍隊和大量移民,到其封邑,鞏固其占領地區和征服土地,建立統治機制,強制執行井田制,已充分顯現封建制度本身內涵的殖民主義和帝國主義,要與王道背道而馳,仁政何以施展?
回歸「耕者有其田」,有恒產者,則有恒心,才有真正意義!
(取材自Alex Pan’s Digest)
Alex Pan TheWalker
2011.12.22
2014/4/30,再貼出
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