摘 要： 殷墟甲骨文中，需同于儒。需、儒人群在殷商频繁活动，在王室事务中扮演重要角色，甚至也已形成专门化、垄断化的职业。《周易》的需卦虽与儒有一定的关联，但将它与殷商民族或儒的原始发生联系在一起，则尚欠证据。汉字中，偏旁带需的字，多具有柔、弱的意思。儒的文化性格受启发于周室勃兴。周王朝的建立与发展及周初诸王的事功业绩与崇高德行，为最初的儒不仅提供了理想原型，也构成了儒家学派自身创生的精神动力。原始的祝、宗、卜、史职业已经不能满足儒者政治生活与精神生活的双重需要，他们游离出祝、宗、卜的职业安排，而相对保留史的存在。他们要使用民间舆论工具，通过思想与文化的力量积极参与社会上层的政治活动，保护弱者的利益，为弱者说话，自觉地认同于弱者代言人的身份。
关键词： 儒； 需； 柔； 弱； 周代； 文化性格
The Word Xu and Confucius
YU Zhi-pin
Abstract: The word 需（Xu） is alike 儒（Ru） (for early Confucians) in the carapace-bone-script in ruins of Shang dynasty. At that time the early Confucians are very active, and they always take important roles in royal affairs. Even we can regard them as a kind of people who has an occupation which has been specialized and monopolized. The chapter of Xu in the Book of Zhou Yi has definite relationship with early Confucians. Most Chinese characters with the component Xu have the meanings such as soft, gentle, weak. The cultural character of early Confucians may be inspired by the rising of Zhou dynasty. The archetypes of early Confucians and their spiritual power come from the founding and the development of Zhou dynasty, the great achievement and virtue of its early kings. Although the original occupations, such as 祝（Zhu）, 宗（Zong）, 卜（Bu）, 史（Shi）, can not make the Confucians very satisfied, they can make use of public opinions and participate in politics of the upper classes through the power of thought and culture, in order to protect the benifit of the weak and defend for them. The Confucians have clear self-identity consciousness as prolocutor of the weak.
Key words: Confucian; Xu; the weak; Zhou dynasty; cultural character
