《荀子》的“类”与道的范畴化发展

Xunzi's Thinking on Lei and the Categorization of Dao in the Pre-Qin China

黑格尔认为中国人在文化方面有很高的声名,却没有真正意义上的哲学,理由是中国人提出了作为最高本质的道,但只是抽象的普遍,在过渡到具体时,却没有能力给思想创造一个范畴[规定]的王国。事实果真如此吗?《荀子》中的"类"观念可以回答这个问题。荀子明确提出道可以从不同方面来认识的观念,进而提出"类不悖,虽久同理"的观点,意思是说同类则同理,异类则异理。这就使道在过渡到具体时有了范畴的方式或规定。他把"虚壹而静"当作解蔽的方法,其实就是把它当作认识各类具体事物中的道的方法。他的正名思想主张同类则同名,异类则异名,显然是把具体事物当做类概念来对待的;他提出"当簿其类然后可"的观点,主张认识要以感觉经验符合事物的类为基础,表现了鲜明的经验论的哲学色彩。荀子关于"类"的思想,上接老子的道论辩证法,下启韩非的道理论,恰恰表明古代中国人有能力给思想创造一个范畴的王国。不过,与古希腊哲学比较起来,由于实用功利目的的强势引领,荀子的范畴思想在概念化和体系化上发展得并不充分,这也是不容否认的。

Hegel says,in his Lectures on the History of Philosophy,that the Chinese have a great reputation for their culture; but they have nophilosophy in a strict sense.As the supreme essence,Dao is put forward,and yet is the universality of an abstract kind.In its switch from the abstract to the concrete,the concept Dao fails to leave any space for the Chinese to create a kingdom of categorization.But,is he justified in saying so? It is Xunzi's idea on Lei that can give an answer to this question.Xunzi thinks that Dao can be grasped from various aspects,so-named as Lei( the Chinese counterpart to the western concept of category).He goes further that Li( the Chinese counterpart to the western conceptof reason) is determined by Lei,where Li( reason) stays.And the reasons in concrete things are different as long as Lei,the categories they stay within,are different.Dao obtains its categories or determinations when it switches from the abstract to the concrete.The purpose of his epistemology of Jiebi( removing the obstacle of one-sided view) is to know the Daos of the concrete things.His theory of Zhengming( the rectification of names) insists that each Lei has a corresponding name.When the Lei is different,its name must be different,too.Obviously he deals with the concrete things through the categorical concepts.He even maintains that thinking on Lei should be based on feeling and experience.Therefore,his thought can be classified into empirical philosophy.Xunzi's thinking on Lei just stands between Laozi's Dao and Han Feizi's Dao-Li theory.It strongly proves that the ancient Chinese do have the potentiality to build up a categorical kingdom.Nevertheless,it must not be denied that,compared with the ancient Greek philosophy,the Chinese philosophy is weaker in conceptual and categorical thinking,due to the strong influence of its political utilitarianism.