荀子与知性之路

Xun Zi and His Philosophical Concepts

荀子的“明于天人之分”、“ 制天命而用”的思想和“虚一而静”的认识方法为中国古代哲学开出了知性之路，在荀子那 里，天是客观的自然界，是可以认识的。然而由于荀子哲学的主旨不在于对自然界的认识， 而在于儒家的圣王之道，主张“学有所止”，将“知性”划定在“道”的藩篱之中，因此由 他开启的认知心在萌芽阶段便夭折于儒家的政治人伦中。

Xun Zi's cognitive methods had opened up for the traditional Chinese p hilosophy ways of understanding the world. In the opinion of Xun Zi, heaven, whi ch was objective reality, could be comprehended. However, as Xun Zi's philosophy aimed at protecting the feudal system rather than exploring nature, his philoso phical implications were shadowed and obscured by the Confucian doctrines.