西周金文「某+德」詞語概說

「德」是儒家學説中其中一個很重要的觀念，不過，「德」的思想並非由儒家始創的，儒家只是將「德」發揚光大。早於西周金文中，已經常提及「德」。西周金文中出現的「德」字，除了以單獨一個「德」字的形式出現外，還往往配上其他單字組成詞語，包括有「元德」、「正德」、「明德」、「懿德」、「秉德」、「孔德」、「安德」、「介德」、「監德」和「好德」。雖然西周金文中較少長篇討論「德」的篇章，但與傳世文獻和簡帛對讀，就能瞭解金文中「某+德」詞語的意義。西周金文中出現的「德」觀念，與後來儒家學説中提及的「德」有不少相似之處。如在西周金文中會將修身視為治國的必要條件，常將修身的「德」與治國的「德」混為一談，這與後來儒家學説所提倡的修身、齊家、治國、平天下的主張不謀而合。透過闡釋「某+德」詞語的用法及意義，對瞭解西周金文及傳世文獻中「德」的思想有很大幫助。
“De” is a significant philosophy during Pre-Qin period (先秦時期). “De” and the phrases with “De” frequently appear in inscriptions on bronzes and the documents, such as endocentric phrase “yuan de” (元德) and verb-object phrase “zheng de” (正德). This thesis deals mainly with the meanings, usages and grammatical structures of the phrases with “De”. By investigating the documents and unearthed materials, it reveals that the thought of “self-cultivate with morals”, “rule by moral force” (為政以德) appear in very early time in Western Zhou Dynasty (西周) and subsequently have a profound effect on Confucianism. Copyright © 2016 中華書局.