CAJ | 학술논문

性字后起于生字，其义初由生字代替。虽说在古代生、性互用，但性字由心、生组合而成，其义应比生字丰富。《说文》：“心，人心”，心字原为人心而设。所以，性字除了具有一般事物的生之义，更有一般事物难以包含的人心之义。据此，对人性的阐释，应从生、心两方面加以把握。而审视先秦学者对人性的论说，却是或取生之性以论性，或取心之性以论性，或虽对性字有综合把握却又意有所取，最终导致了以生论性或以心论性的偏颇。
성자후기우생자，기의초유생자대체。수설재고대생、성호용，단성자유심、생조합이성，기의응비생자봉부。《설문》：“심，인심”，심자원위인심이설。소이，성자제료구유일반사물적생지의，경유일반사물난이포함적인심지의。거차，대인성적천석，응종생、심량방면가이파악。이심시선진학자대인성적논설，각시혹취생지성이론성，혹취심지성이론성，혹수대성자유종합파악각우의유소취，최종도치료이생론성혹이심론성적편파。
Abstract： The Chinese character of xing is created after that of sheng, and its primary meaning is expressed by sheng. Though sheng and xing are mutually used in ancient times, xing, composed of xin and sheng, has much more abundant meaning than sheng. According to Shuowen Jiezi, xin refers to the human＇s heart in its origin. In addition to the meaning of survival of the common things, xing is endowed with the meaning of human＇s heart that the common things fail to imply. Accordingly the interpretation of human nature is supposed to take sheng and xin into consideration. While surveying the doctrines and comments on human nature by the scholars in the Pre- Qin period, we find that their interpretations of xing vary a great deal. Some select sheng, the meaning of surviv- al, some xin, the meaning of human＇s heart, and others both sheng and xin but with the different status, which eventually lead to the biases on human nature.