Learning from Others Enables One to Become a Sage
跟众人学习，就可以成为圣人。这是清代史学家、思想家章学诚(1738—1801) 提出的求道成圣的方法。“圣人”是古人推崇的最高人格。圣人基于对天道、人心的把握，可以制定、规范人伦生活的秩序与法则，其所言所行成为人伦世界的至高典范。而圣人并非孤立于众人而存在的，而是从众人那里广收博采，集其大成，从而超越众人、引领众人的。从根本上说，“圣人”与“众人”构成既对立又统一的两个方面，而求道成圣的路径就存在于这两个方面的互动之中。故即便众人未必有可学之处，但对圣人而言也是有鉴戒意义的。
A person can become a sage by learning from other people. That is the way to find the path that leads up to the level of a sage, according to Zhang Xuecheng (1738-1801), a historian and thinker in the Qing Dynasty. A "sage" is honored by the ancients as having a character that is virtuous to the highest degree. Due to his understanding of the natural law and human nature, a sage is able to design and regulate rules to keep people's moral life in order. His words and deeds set an ultimate example for morality in a society. However, a sage does not exist in isolation from ordinary people. Instead, he learns from them and draws the best from them, thus enabling himself to rise above them and guide them in the end. A "sage" and "ordinary people" are fundamentally two sides that are opposite yet connected, whose interactions pave the way for pursuing the goal of becoming a sage. Therefore, even though people around him may not offer a lot for him to learn, they are nevertheless a learning resource for a sage.
引例 Citation：
◎学于圣人，斯为贤人；学于贤人，斯为君子；学于众人，斯为圣人。（章学诚《文史通义·原道上》）
向圣人学习，则能成为贤人；向贤人学习，则能成为君子；向众人学习，则能成为圣人。
By learning from a sage, one can become a virtuous person; by learning from a virtuous person, one can become a man of virtue; by learning from people, one can develop into a sage. (Zhang Xuecheng: General Principles of History)
推荐：教育部 国家语委
供稿：北京外国语大学 外语教学与研究出版社
责任编辑：钱耐安
