“女子”——“小人”辨——谈孔子的妇女观

对孔子的“唯小人与女子为难养,近之则不孙,远之则怨”的一般理解是:孔子把女性与小人相提并论,是看不起女性。其实,这是一种误解。事实上,“唯小人与女子为难养”中的“小人”和“女人”是指“男中小人”和“女中小人”,“小”和“女”都不是性别评价,而是道德评价。

A Clarification of Women and Mean People--On Confucian Outlook on Women

Confucius once said that only the women and Mean people are hard to nature--too intimate with them, they will be complacent, too cold, complaining. It is generally thought that Confucius equates Women with Mean People , looking down upon them.This is a misunderstanding thought.In fact, his "Women" and "Mean People" , referring to the mean people among women and men, is more an evaluation of moralities than one of gender.