原毁 - 韩愈
探析毀譽，明辨是非之道
昔者孟子曰：「於不可已而已者，无所不已；於所當行而弗行者，罪也。」
In ancient times, Mencius said: “If one can persevere yet chooses to stop, there is nothing one will not forsake. If one should act but fails to act, that is a moral failing.”
夫毀譽之來，多繫於人情之通塞、世俗之偏頗。人情不易知，一言一行皆可致毀；世俗多有陳見，或憎人之所短，或妒人之所長。
Praise and slander often stem from the openness or narrowness of human sentiments and the biases of society. Human emotions are not easily fathomed: a single word or deed can bring about slander; people may detest others’ flaws or envy others’ strengths based on conventional prejudices.
毀者不必誠毀，譽者不必誠譽。毀或來自嫉，譽或非出真心。故君子原其所以毀，則見己之得失；察其所以譽，則知彼之善惡。
Those who slander do not always do so with genuine cause, and those who commend are not always sincere. Slander might arise from jealousy, and praise may not be heartfelt. Thus a person of integrity investigates why he is criticized in order to see his own merits and faults, and discerns why he is praised to grasp another’s sincerity or guile.
是以古之大賢，遇毀而不怒，聞譽而不喜。毀者，或中其失；譽者，或掩其非。二者兼觀，然後可以出乎毀譽之域。
Hence, the great sages of old did not become angry when slandered, nor were they elated by praise. Slander may pinpoint one’s errors, and praise may conceal one’s shortcomings. By examining both, one can rise above the realm of mere praise and blame.
人或疑曰：「毀乃眾口一詞者，豈能皆妄？譽乃四海稱道者，豈能皆虛？」殊不知眾從流俗，亦未可盡信。夫從眾而毀者，或不知其尤；一味讚美者，或不明其是。
Some may doubt, saying: “If many voices unite to condemn, how can they all be wrong? If people across the land offer praise, how can it all be false?” They do not realize that the masses often follow the trend without discerning the truth. Those who merely join the chorus of slander may not grasp the real fault, and those who praise indiscriminately may not truly understand its worth.
君子觀其言行，論其是非；不蔽於毀譽，不惑於名聲。然後以己道自立，不易其操守，不動於外境。
A person of integrity observes conduct and judges right from wrong, remaining unswayed by slander or praise, unconfused by one’s reputation. Only then can one stand firm in one’s principles, never altering one’s moral stance or being disturbed by external influences.
若是者，可以處毀不改，受譽不驕，乃古之賢哲之所遵也。
Such an approach allows one to endure slander without change, and receive praise without conceit—precisely the path followed by the wise men of old.
《原毀》乃韓愈以古文筆調，揭示「毀譽」在人際與社會中的微妙運作。文章主旨並非僅在批判世俗毀讒，也非一味提倡阿諛讚美，而是期望讀者能透過探究「毀譽」的根源與動機，學習看穿人情浮誇與偏見，進而守住內在本真。韓愈指出，毀譽或來自個人私慾，也可能糾結於大眾盲從；真理不會因群眾多寡或聲勢大小而改變。因此，只有秉持客觀與自省精神，才能在眾說紛紜中堅定自我。
論述中，韓愈亦強調君子之道：要能不因毀譽之表象而背離事實。讚譽和誹謗都可能隱含私心或不明真相，要學會逆向思考並仔細觀察對方的意圖。否則，人一旦沉迷於眾口「或毀或譽」的浪潮，便極易迷失自我。文中「觀其言行，論其是非；不蔽於毀譽，不惑於名聲」道出君子審慎判斷的原則，也昭示道德自律的重要。
從文學風格來看，全文語氣恬淡而意蘊深沉，既有議論利落的特色，又不失古文簡練嚴謹的韻味。作為唐代古文運動代表人物，韓愈在此文中呼應了他一貫堅持的人格修為與時代責任：倡導文者應堅守正道、勿因外界異議而改弦更張。藉由深剖「毀譽」機制，他透過文字提醒當世與後人：面對毀謗須自省失誤，面對讚美則當平常心待之。如此方能抵擋流俗影響，以堅定意志走出一條有理想與操守的坦途。
重點
1. 毀譽源於人心偏執與世俗盲從：縱使眾口一致，也可能未見事實全貌。
2. 要在毀譽間穩住自我：學會自省、明辨是非，不被讚揚而飄，也不因誹謗而失衡。
3. 君子之態度：保持坦蕩，探究評論背後動機，以事實根據來檢驗批評與讚賞。
4. 韓愈整篇論述洋溢古文運動的精神：文字簡潔有力，深藏勸世之心，兼具思想啟發與文學價值。