自然之性与社会之人——《荀子·荣辱》札记

Nature and Man of Society——Reading Notes on Honor and Disgrace of Xunzi

荀子以情与欲等自然之性为人的本然规定,但同时又肯定人包含表现为"虑"的理性思维能力,后者使人超越了单纯的感性欲求,趋向于更为合理的取舍。进而言之,在后天的发展中,人究竟成为何种人,并不取决于人的本然规定,而是关乎"注错习俗之所积",从本然形态的"人之情"向圣人之境的转换,以个体努力与社会影响的互动为前提。在社会的层面,问题不仅仅关乎礼义的引导,而且与"礼义之分"相联系,后者进一步规定了人格的社会之维。人之情与人之虑、社会的制约与个体的习行、外在的塑造和个体的选择相互作用,规定了多样的人格形态。

Xunzi proposes affection and love as man s nature,meanwhile he also approves man s rational thinking manifested by"anxiety",which surpasses the simple emotional desire of man and makes a more reasonable choice of becoming a man.In other words,during the postnatal development,what kind of man he will be is not decided by man s nature,but the"accumulation of behaviors and habits".On the premise of the interaction between individual efforts and social influence,it is possible for man to achieve the change from man of affection and love to man of sage.From the perspective of society,it not only requires the guidance of rite and morality,but also has close relationship with the division of rite and morality,which further takes the personality as a social system.Generally speaking,a variety of personality patterns are prescribed through the interaction among affection of man and anxiety of man,social restrictions and individual behaviors and habits,external shaping and individual choices.