信仰和啟蒙運動關係初探

信仰者信仰的是真理，信仰者的另一個稱呼是尋求真理者，但並不是掌握了全部真理的人。尋求和找到不是一回事。 每個人的尋求路徑都是獨特的。

文藝複興， 宗教改革，都是人們在追求信仰過程中認識偏差而產生負麵後果的時候，一些先知先覺者的重新思考。它們起過不可磨滅的曆史作用， 對澄清當時人們頭腦中一些信仰內容的偏差頗有助益。

比如：天主教會的主教能否代替上帝，赦免人的罪，能否以收受別人的金錢來出售贖罪券。信徒的懺悔是否隻能在教士麵前才算數， 還是每個人以自己的良心獨自在上帝麵前懺悔， 上帝就可赦免其過犯。宗教改革的內容就包括了改革教會的這些問題。

文藝複興， 啟蒙運動， 都推動了對人性的認識。 這些運動產生的思想對人類認識狀況的改善有積極意義，但他們本身並不能取代信仰本身，真理本身的作用。

另外，文藝複興，啟蒙運動的文人並非和宗教信仰水火不容， 他們有的可能批評當時教會係統的某些說法做法，特別是宗教組織對人的不寬容。 但同時他們仍保有自己對上帝獨特的認知和信仰。

啟蒙運動的主要人物之一孟德斯鳩就是典型的例子。

現代西方社會的理念和組織架構建立在基督信仰的框架裏：人人生來平等，都有生命，自由， 追求幸福的與生俱來的權利， 這些理念在聖經很多地方都可以找到。 西方普遍實行的三權分立思想是孟德斯鳩在他的著作“法的精神”中提出的，他本人是啟蒙運動中的人文主義者，當過法國波爾多地區高等法院的庭長。他的這本巨作被認為是啟蒙運動人文主義者中對後世最有影響的著作，他同時也是一位忠實的上帝信仰者。

在 “論法的精神”一書的序言中， 他這樣說：“這部著作， 我多次提筆，又多次擱筆。我曾無數次扔掉草稿，讓他隨風飄逝。 我每天都覺得慈父之手垂落下去 ，盡管我主觀上並無意圖， 實際上卻在追求我的目標。我既不懂得規則， 也不知道什麽是例外，我找到了真理， 卻又丟失了。然而， 當我一旦發現了我的原則， 我所追尋的一切便一股腦兒向我湧來。在二十年間， 我眼看著我的這部著作萌生， 生長， 成熟和完成。”

這慈父之手若不是指上帝那看不見的手，還可能有誰呢。

這本書的第一章第一節 談到法的本質。我手頭恰有此書中文， 順便摘抄一點兒。網上也有英文版的，也順便同時抄上來，便於對照：

“從最廣泛的意義上說， 法是源於事務本性的必然關係。就此而言， 一切存在物都各有其法。 上帝有其法，物質世界有其法， 超人智靈有其法，獸類有其法，人類有其法。

1. Of the Relation of Laws to different Beings. Laws, in their most general signification, are the necessary relations arising from the nature of things. In this sense all beings have their laws: the Deity¹ His laws, the material world its laws, the intelligences superior to man their laws, the beasts their laws, man his laws.

有人說，我們在世界上所見到的一切， 都是盲目的命運所造成的。 這種說法荒謬絕倫， 試想，還有比聲稱有智慧的存在物也產生於盲目的命運更加荒謬的言論嗎。

They who assert that a blind fatality produced the various effects we behold in this world talk very absurdly; for can anything be more unreasonable than to pretend that a blind fatality could be productive of intelligent beings?

由此可見， 存在著一個最初的原因，法就是這最初的原因和各種存在物之間的關係，也是各種存在物之間的相互關係。

There is, then, a prime reason; and laws are the relations subsisting between it and different beings, and the relations of these to one another.

作為宇宙的創造者和保護者， 上帝與宇宙有關係，他創造宇宙時所依據的法便是他保護宇宙時所依據的法。他依照這些規則行事，因為他了解這些規則。他了解這些規則，是因為他曾製定這些規則。他之所以製定這些規則，是因為這些規則與他的智慧和能力有關。

God is related to the universe, as Creator and Preserver; the laws by which He created all things are those by which He preserves them. He acts according to these rules, because He knows them; He knows them, because He made them; and He made them, because they are in relation to His wisdom and power.

既然我們觀察到這個由物質的運動組成的世界，沒有智慧的物質世界，跨越世代始終存在著，其運動必是由某些不變的法則所主導。如果我們能想象出另外一個世界， 這個世界也必是由起固有的法則主宰， 否則就必定會毀滅。

Since we observe that the world, though formed by the motion of matter, and void of understanding, subsists through so long a succession of ages, its motions must certainly be directed by invariable laws; and could we imagine another world, it must also have constant rules, or it would inevitably perish.

因此， 創世看似一種隨心所欲的行為，其實它意味著一些不變的法則，就像無神論者宣稱的永恒的宿命一樣。沒有法則， 世界就不複存在， 所以， 說造物主可以不憑借法則來治理世界，那是謬論。

Thus the creation, which seems an arbitrary act, supposes laws as invariable as those of the fatality of the Atheists. It would be absurd to say that the Creator might govern the world without those rules, since without them it could not subsist.

這些法則是一些恒定不變的關係。 在兩個各自運動的物體之間，所有運動的獲得， 增加， 減少或喪失， 都是因為質量和速度的數值關係。 每一個變量都是在統一裏麵，每一個變化都反映者一種恒定。

These rules are a fixed and invariable relation. In bodies moved, the motion is received, increased, diminished, or lost, according to the relations of the quantity of matter and velocity; each diversity is uniformity, each change is constancy.

特殊的智能存在物能擁有他們自己創製的規則，但他們同時也擁有一些不可能由他們自己創製的規則。在他們成為有智慧的存在物之先，他們已經有了存在的可能性，並且有了互相之間可能的關係，因此就有了某些法則。在他們製定法則之先，就已經有了些裁定正義何在的關係。 若斷言說隻有在有了規定或禁止某些行為的人為法以後才有公正和非公正的區別， 就等於說在畫出圓圈之前， 所有半徑都是長短不一的。

Particular intelligent beings may have laws of their own making, but they have some likewise which they never made. Before there were intelligent beings, they were possible; they had therefore possible relations, and consequently possible laws. Before laws were made, there were relations of possible justice. To say that there is nothing just or unjust but what is commanded or forbidden by positive laws, is the same as saying that before the describing of a circle all the radii were not equal.

所以我們必須承認，在人為法確立公正關係以前， 就存在著公正關係。比如， 倘若已經有了人類社會，那麽遵守人類社會的法律就是正確的。倘若一種智慧存在物獲得了另一種智慧存在物的澤慧，那麽前者理應感謝後者。倘若一種智慧存在物創造了另一種智慧存在物，被創造著就應保持與生俱來的從屬關係。倘若一種一種智慧存在物加害於另一種智慧存在物，前者就應該受到同樣的損害， 如此等等。

We must therefore acknowledge relations of justice antecedent to the positive law by which they are established: as, for instance, if human societies existed, it would be right to conform to their laws; if there were intelligent beings that had received a benefit of another being, they ought to show their gratitude; if one intelligent being had created another intelligent being, the latter ought to continue in its original state of dependence; if one intelligent being injures another, it deserves a retaliation; and so on.

但是智慧世界的治理狀態遠遠比不上物質世界。因為， 智慧世界雖然也有因其本性而不能改變的法則，但是智慧世界卻不像物質世界那樣恒久地遵守這些法則。這是因為，特殊的智慧存在物受本性所限，難免會犯錯誤。其次， 他們往往出於本性而自行其是，所以他們並不始終準守元初的法則，即使是他們自己創製的規則， 他們也常常違反。

But the intelligent world is far from being so well governed as the physical. For though the former has also its laws, which of their own nature are invariable, it does not conform to them so exactly as the physical world. This is because, on the one hand, particular intelligent beings are of a finite nature, and consequently liable to error; and on the other, their nature requires them to be free agents. Hence they do not steadily conform to their primitive laws; and even those of their own instituting they frequently infringe.

我們不了解， 獸類是受製於普遍的運動法則抑或受製於特殊的動因，無論如何， 它們與上帝的關係不比物質世界中的其他存在與上帝更親密。隻有在它們的相互關係中，隻有在它們與其他存在物的關係當中，或是在對待它們自己時，情感對它們來說才是有用的。

Whether brutes be governed by the general laws of motion, or by a particular movement, we cannot determine. Be that as it may, they have not a more intimate relation to God than the rest of the material world; and sensation is of no other use to them than in the relation they have either to other particular beings or to themselves.

借助肉欲的引誘，它們保存了自己特殊的存在，肉欲的引誘同樣使它們可以保存自己的物種。它們有自然法則，因為它們由同樣的情感聯結在一起。但是他們並非憑借認知而連接在一起，所以他們沒有人為法。 不過， 獸類並不一成不變的遵守自然法則， 到是既沒有知識也沒有情感的植物， 更好地遵守了自然法則。

By the allurement of pleasure they preserve the individual, and by the same allurement they preserve their species. They have natural laws, because they are united by sensation; positive laws they have none, because they are not connected by knowledge. And yet they do not invariably conform to their natural laws; these are better observed by vegetables, that have neither understanding nor sense.

獸類雖然完全不具備我們那種無與倫比的優越性，但他們也有我們所不具備的優越性。 它們雖然沒有我們的期望， 卻也沒有我們的恐懼。它們像我們一樣會死去，但它們在死的時候並不知曉死亡為何物。它們中的大多數比我們更善於保護自己，不那麽放縱情欲。

Brutes are deprived of the high advantages which we have; but they have some which we have not. They have not our hopes, but they are without our fears; they are subject like us to death, but without knowing it; even most of them are more attentive than we to self-preservation, and do not make so bad a use of their passions.

人， 作為物質存在， 像其他物質存在一樣受製於不變的法則。 作為智慧存在物，人又在不斷破壞上帝創造的法則， 修改自己創製的規則。人本應自我治理，雖然人有局限性。 但他像一切有限的智慧存在物一樣，會陷於無知，也會犯錯，丟失本來就不多的知識。而作為一種有情感的創造物，他被千萬種迫切的激情誤導，這樣的被造物隨時都可能忘掉他的創造主，上帝因此借助宗教的法規提醒他記得他的責任。這樣一種存在隨時都可能忘記他自己是誰，因而有哲學借助道德的規範提醒他。他被造而活在社會當中，卻可能會忘記同樣被造的同伴，立法者因此借助政治法和民事法把他置於他自己當負的責任當中。

Man, as a physical being, is like other bodies governed by invariable laws. As an intelligent being, he incessantly transgresses the laws established by God, and changes those of his own instituting. He is left to his private direction, though a limited being, and subject, like all finite intelligences, to ignorance and error: even his imperfect knowledge he loses; and as a sensible creature, he is hurried away by a thousand impetuous passions. Such a being might every instant forget his Creator; God has therefore reminded him of his duty by the laws of religion. Such a being is liable every moment to forget himself; philosophy has provided against this by the laws of morality. Formed to live in society, he might forget his fellow-creatures; legislators have therefore by political and civil laws confined him to his duty. ”

孟德斯鳩是啟蒙運動的人文主義者， 同事也是信仰上帝的人，上麵 這一節可以說是他的世界觀的總結。他相信上帝存在， 上帝是一切的創造者， 人從屬於上帝的智慧而存在。法的規則，最根本的是上帝創製的， 其他才是人類自己創設的。 因為這個， 他像古羅馬的執政官法學家西塞羅一樣，也屬於“自然法”學派。

這本書“法的精神”非常值得一讀，對於了解人性， 了解人的社會的特性， 人類的治理，法治的原則極有幫助。全書寫得大多通俗易懂，像如今的微博一樣， 每個小標題內容不長，有論證，也有不少曆史事例的分析。

中文版是商務印書館 2009 年出版， 英文版網上有免費的：

The Spirit of Laws

http://www.constitution.org/cm/sol-02.htm