礼道·礼教·礼治:荀子哲学建构新探

荀子以“礼”为中心,形成偏重于儒家“外王学”的哲学建构。他首先把“礼”提升到“道”的高度,作为人类社会乃至自然界的最高哲学范畴;一方面把“礼”作为道德教化的依据,建立起自己的道德学说;另一方面把“礼”作为社会治理的准则,形成自己的社会政治思想。“礼道—礼教—礼治”,构成了荀子哲学思想的主体。     

荀子礼学思想简论

在早期儒家哲学家中,荀子以礼学见长。荀氏之礼学,义精蕴奥,广博多方,引人注目。本文试从多个视角勾勒其理论内涵:荀子以礼为人类社会之根本,以天人同理主据天地自然而证礼,是为礼学之本体根源论;荀子言欲求天然,由养欲节求、欲物相长而论礼之缘起。将礼以人文之原则、文饰之技巧溶情感于理智、汇政治理性入民俗仪式,是为礼学之人本文化论;苟子由群论分,以礼明分使群,自异求同,从别索齐,隆礼至法,引法入礼,将制礼者、释礼者、执礼者归结于圣主君王,是为礼学之社会政治论。     

"群分"视野下的"治道"--荀子政治哲学解读

荀子以经验的进路,基于“群分”的视野,在性恶预设的基础上,凸显了礼义在建设一个和谐、有序和稳定的社会群体中的主体地位,构建了以礼治为主干的“治道”。同时,荀子又援法入礼,礼法并重,赋予了儒家政治哲学以现实操作的品格,从而使其现实地运作于历代王朝的政治管理中。     

荀子的礼治思想

荀子的礼治思想,是荀子政治思想的核心。荀子十分强调在社会生活各个方面的作用,因而极力宣传和推行他的礼治思想。他主张要以礼修身,以礼齐家,以礼治国平天下。     

礼法、君子与秩序——荀子礼法思想论析

礼法合论是荀子政治哲学思想的显著标识。荀子从社会政治秩序建构的客观视野来论礼,并通过以法注礼,强化了礼作为制度规范建构的意义,使其成为一种秩序建构的客观规则。荀子礼法思想的重要特质有两个方面值得注意:一者,荀子礼法合治的精神实质是以法补礼、以礼统法,即以法的强制性和刑的暴力性来推动礼所规范下的差等秩序的实现,以礼的差等性原则来统摄法的普遍性精神;二者,荀子通过对治法与治人以及良法与君子关系的辩证认识,既重视礼法的客观性规则,又十分强调人在礼法制度规范建构中的主体性作用。     

德能—位禄：荀子差等分配原则研究

差等原则是荀子分配正义的一个重要原则。在中国思想史上,荀子明确肯定以礼义为基础的差等分配原则的合理性与正义性。具体到政治权力和经济利益的分配,荀子特别强调“德能”与“位禄”相挂钩。对于差等分配,荀子首先从“天秩”与“人秩”的维度作了理论层面的可欲性分析,同时又从礼、法、圣王的维度作了现实层面的可行性设计。依荀子,差等分配是一种公平正义的分配方式,只有实行差等分配,方能实现“群居和一”的社会理想。荀子的这一思想主张对于当今社会的资源分配具有一定的理论借鉴意义和现实指导意义。     

礼义教化:荀子伦理-政治共同体文化理想的精神

伦理学所承诺的“优良生活”,其要有二：其一，德也；其一，福也。德福一致，义命两全，方为至善。在儒家，义在价值上独立且优先于命。然而，对于至善的实现，义只是必要而不充分的条件。为德福一致故，与康德从道德走向宗教不同，荀子从道德走向了政治，寻求通过社会的良治实现生命的完满，呈现出一种独特的伦理-政治共同体文化理想。首先，“国无礼则不正”,荀子主张礼治，而其赖以治国的“礼义”实兼具伦理与政治双重意涵，贯通着个体的完善与共同体的完善。其次，“君子治治，非治乱也”,荀子将政治共同体的正当性基础建立在个体的完善之上，以此判定政治的优劣。再次，“凝士以礼，凝民以政”,荀子对法的吸收并非所谓“外在道德”的歧出，而只是礼治的一种变奏，最终亦以自我完善为导向。整体而言，荀子在肯定共同体本位的同时，保留了个体与共同体之间的张力，从而维系着批判共同体可能走向异化的价值基础。对于儒家政治哲学的当代更新而言，荀子伦理-政治共同体文化理想不失为一种可能的理论资源。     

荀子“礼”论的审美意蕴

以往对于荀子美学思想的探讨多是从其“乐”论出发,而对于“礼”论中隐含的审美思想发掘不够。实际上,荀子的“礼”论中包含了丰富而深刻的审美意蕴。首先荀子将“礼”奠基在人的丰富感性基础之上,将生命本身的存在作为价值建构的原点,表现出对于生命存在的关注和尊重;其次荀子认为与“礼”相关的各种仪式活动,是以具体而物化的形式恰当地表现了人存在的各种生命情态,具有一定的审美效果,是对于人类生命情感的美化和装饰;最后“礼”的最终的目标和价值在于通过“行义之美”,构建一个“美善相乐”的理想世界,这个理想世界不仅具有伦理和谐的意味,还具有审美大化的韵味。荀子的“礼”论不仅在中国审美文化史上具有一定的地位,而且对于我们今天的理论建设仍具有启发意义。     

略论孔子“仁”“礼”“政”思想

本文用“仁”、“礼”、“政”概括孔子的伦理和政治思想。“仁”,“礼”、“政”的基本精神是以“贵和”为指导,通过“仁”以和谐人与人之间的关系,“礼”以和谐个人与国家和社会的关系,“政”以和谐统治者与被统治者之间的关系,从而构成一种熔伦理、宗法、政治为一炉的思想理论,对春秋末年的尖锐的社会矛盾起着缓和作用。“仁”、“礼”、“政”思想还以强大的感染力渗透到古代社会各个阶级、阶层,养成了统治者因循守成和小生产者求稳怕乱的心理状态,并增强着统治者进行自我调节和政治调节的应变能力,延缓着中国封建社会的发展。     

荀子“礼”教的伦理秩序向度及其逻辑

与孔孟不同,面对战国末期伦理秩序的深度危机,荀子重新阐释了"礼",并以礼为核心系统重构了儒家的伦理与教化理想。荀子高扬儒家之礼教乃缘起于他对"人"的重新认识,从"人生不能无群"和情欲的恶之趋向来强调礼教的必要与紧迫。荀子的"群"是个体经由礼之普遍化而向之归复的伦理共同体,"和"与"一"是"群"的旨向与价值特征。但荀子认为"群居和一"的价值合理性不源于天道,而源于人道的觉醒。荀子视"礼"为人道之极,从"道"的高度揭释"礼"的本质,从而使礼之教化与人伦秩序落成获得内在的价值皈依。最后,荀子以礼定分以别异,以乐治心以合同,礼乐之统使教与化、规范与德性、秩序与和谐相互融通而落实于人心。     

荀子推类思想探析

在中国逻辑传统中,根据事物或现象的同异,而进行的以类推之的推类,是中国古人经常运用的一种推理论说形式和思维方法。集诸子百家之成而独树一帜的苟子,在谈说论辩的思维实践中,继承了前人关于“类”和“推类”思想的研究成果,提出了“所缘以同异”的类概念认识,从“物各从其类”展开对类概念的考察,并通过关于“正名”的阐述,全面地论述了“譬称以喻之”、“推礼义之统”、“举统类而应之”、“推类而不悖”等推类思想,从而使推类思想在中国逻辑传统中更加繁丽多姿。     

Ritual Education and Moral Development: A Comparison of Xunzi and Vygotsky

Xunzi’s 荀子 advocacy for moral education is well-documented; precisely how his program bolsters moral development, and why a program touting study of ritual could be effective, remain subjects of debate. I argue that these matters can be clarified by appealing to the theory of learning and development offered by Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky posited that development depends primarily on social interactions mediated by sociocultural tools that modify learners’ cognitive architecture, enabling increasingly sophisticated thought. Vygotsky’s theory is remarkably similar to Xunzi’s account of how studying and practicing ritual restructures learners’ moral psychology. Specifically, both Vygotsky and Xunzi offer nonnativist accounts of psychosocial development that emphasize the centrality of sociocultural tools for learning. This comparison yields a more nuanced and empirically supported interpretation of Xunzi’s account of moral education, as well as an account that has applications in contemporary work in moral education and development.     

荀子的道德修养论探析

荀子是我国古代最著名的性恶论者。他一方面从人的自然性出发,提出人性本恶论;另一方面又从人的社会性出发,提出了“化性起伪”的人性改造论和道德修养论。荀子肯定了性本恶之人在礼义法度等外在道德规范的约束下不断弃恶从善、积善成德的可能性。他提出的以追求圣人和君子为人生境界的道德修养理论,在现代社会仍具有重要价值。     

Xunzi’s Theory of Ritual Revisited: Reading Ritual as Corporal Technology

This essay offers a new reading of Xunzi’s ritual theory against the backdrop of excavated technical manuals from the Mawangdui and Zhangjiashan collections. While most studies tend to focus on the sociopolitical and moral aspects of Xunzi’s thought, I attempt to demonstrate that in composing his theory of ritual, Xunzi was not only concerned with defending the Confucian tradition against the criticism of his fellow philosophical masters, but was also responding to the emergence of bio-spiritual practices such as meditation, sexual cultivation, and gymnastic exercises. Alarmed by the growing popularity of these individual corporal techniques among the Warring States elite, Xunzi opted to repackage and redefine ritual as a superior technology of the body that would enable humans to transform their bodies and minds and obtain physical and spiritual bounties while at the same time enhancing sociopolitical stability and harmony by creating an organic communal body.     

Xunzi's Use of Zhengming: Naming as a constructive project

This paper challenges the view of several interpreters of Xunzi regarding the status of names, ming. I will maintain that Xunzi's view is consistent with the activity we see not only in his own efforts to influence language, but those of Confucius as well. Based on a reconsideration of translations and interpretations of key passages, I will argue that names are regarded neither as mere labels nor as indicating a privileged taxonomy of the myriad phenomena. Rather, Xunzi conceives them as constructs designed to facilitate social goals. Finally, I will suggest an alternative to overly simplistic understandings of how appropriate names are fashioned and of who is responsible for their form.     

儒家智者的逻辑——析荀子正名论

荀子适应当时社会需要 ,从儒家智者的视角 ,创发孔子正名的逻辑内涵 ,建构以概念论为中心的逻辑体系 ,继墨辩之后把中国古代逻辑推向又一高峰。荀子对概念论和语言论、本体论、认识论、判断论、推理论、诡辩论、语言规范化、华夏大一统的相关论述 ,是当前仍有积极价值的学术精华。以现代方法揭示荀子正名论的逻辑意义 ,是中国逻辑元研究的课题。     

Xunzi and the primitivists on natural spontaneity (xìng 性) and coercion

This article explores two opposing views from Warring States China concerning the value of human natural spontaneity (hereafter xìng 性) and large-scale government coercion. On the one hand, the Ruist (Confucian) philosopher Xunzi championed a comprehensive and coercive ethical, political, and social system or Way (dào 道) that he believed would lead to social order and moral cultivation while opposing people’s xìng. On the other hand, the authors of roughly books 8–10 of Zhuangzi, the primitivists, criticized a Way bearing a striking resemblance to Xunzi’s on the grounds that it seriously harms people by opposing their xìng. I argue that the primitivists offer compelling reasons for Xunzi to modify his own Way regarding its relationship with xìng, though their own proposed alternative Way is not very attractive. I conclude with a brief discussion of one primitivist-inspired alternative view found in the Lü Shi Chun Qiu, which plausibly suggests that one way of respecting people’s xìng is by offering them opportunities to explore their natural abilities.     

Is Xunzi a utilitarian? Revisiting a disagreement

ABSTRACT

In Chinese scholarship, Xunzi is often regarded as an eclectic Confucian master who accepted some form of utilitarian thoughts (e.g. Fung Yu-lan, Mou Zongsan and Xu Fuguan). This characteristic was also observed by some western scholars such as Benjamin I. Schwartz. In a recent study, I argued that the basic character of Xunzi’s philosophy is utilitarianism in a broad sense based on an examination on his intellectual criticism and political criticism. Xunzi asserts that humans are innately driven by self-interested desires, and he evaluates all intellectual works and political behaviours by their utility. However, he does not limit utility to only basic animal desires such as food and sex. In Xunzi’s view, humans also have innate emotions; hence, these emotions should also be accounted for in their utility. This is similar to John Stuart Mill’s redefinition of Bentham’s concept of utility. Are Xunzi’s and Mill’s concepts of utility exactly the same? This question has yet to be examined. This article is a comparative study between utilitarianism and Xunzi’s philosophy which especially explores the compatibility of these two philosophies.     

荀子教育思想及其现实意义新探

荀子是战国末期著名思想家、教育家,倾其一生从事教育和学术活动。荀子在其长期的教育实践活动中不仅积累了丰富的经验,而且融合诸家思想形成自己独特的教育观,这在中国古代教育史上占有极为重要的地位。本文欲从荀子教育思想的理论来源、荀子的礼法思想在教育中的地位、荀子的教学思想三方面加以论述。