荀子的“法辅”之道

Xun Zi's Thought about Law Auxiliary

儒家提倡"礼",在战国特殊的时代背景下,荀子一方面像儒家前贤那样推崇礼义教化,另一方面又深知在人心不古的乱世,"礼"发挥的作用有限,认为"法"是推行礼治时一种必要的协助治国的手段,必须礼的内律、法的外制并行。在礼法二者的关系上,荀子认为法从属于礼,礼占据主导。如何让法辅助礼来治国,荀子在刑不欲滥、法律细化、法律实施等方面做出了精辟的论述,完善了周公以来儒家的法治观念。

In the Warring States period, on the one hand, Xun Zi paid great attention to etiquette education,on the other hand, he knew that etiquette worked not well in disordered society, and the law could only play a supporting role. Xun Zi thought that education was more important than the law, and he had incisive comments on prudent use of law, legal elaboration, and implementation of the law and so on, which perfected the legal concept since Zhou Gong.