荀子对数术的系统批判——以占卜、相术、厌劾祠禳为中心

On the Systematic Criticism of Xun Zi of the Arts of Calculation:Focusing on Divination,Physiognomy and Shamanism

荀子对数术虽没有专门立论批评,但检视《荀子》一书,可抽绎出其对数术传统的系统批判。占卜、相术、厌劾祠禳构成了数术系统的三个重要组成部分。针对占卜,荀子提出“善为易者不占”,将占筮的预测功能与礼义文饰功能划清界限,有将《周易》解读进一步人文理性化的倾向。其对《周易》的诠解主要表现为引用卦爻辞以重其言,化用《易传》以解礼,袭用《易传》语词以为己说注解。针对相术,荀子提出相形不如论心、择术,将人内在的思想层面与外在行为方式结合起来评价,建立了全面衡量人才之“德”与“能”的礼义与法度相结合的标准。针对厌劾祠禳,荀子反对鬼神、巫术之说,将儒家的脱巫、去魅倾向贯彻得更加彻底。荀子对数术的系统批判,既有战国末期的社会现实原因,也是思想史逻辑发展之必然,亦与荀子个人对战国学术思潮的批判与熔铸分不开。

Although Xun zi(313-238 BCE)has no specialized critical works on the arts of calculation,his systematic criticism of the tradition of the arts of calculation can be summarized by reviewing the book of Xun zi.Divination,physiognomy as well as apotropaic rites and prayers make up three important parts of the system of the arts of calculation.As for divination,Xun zi proposed that“people who truly understand Zhou yi do not treat it as a divination manual”and drew a line between its function of divination and its function relating to ritual and cultural patterns which displays his tendency to interpret the Zhou yi in a more rationalized,humanistic way.His hermeneutics of the Zhou yi is mainly reflected in his quoting the hexagram and line statements,using Yi zhuan(Commentaries on the Changes)to interpret rituals,and applying the words of Yi zhuan to demonstrate his own views.As for physiognomy,Xun zi contended that physiognomy was not as good as the theory of mind and the art of selection.He combined the level of inner thought with the way of outer behavior to evaluate a person,and established an objective standard to comprehensively measure the“morality”and“ability”of the talents.As far as apotropaic activities were concerned,Xun zi objected to the theory of ghosts,spirits and shamanism,and thereby more thoroughly implemented the Confucian tendency of disenchantment.Xun zi’s systematic criticism of the arts of calculation is partly due to social reality in the late Warring States(475-221 BCE)era,and was partly the necessity of the development of intellectual history.Of course,it is also inseparable from Xun zi’s personal criticism and integration of the academic trends of thought at that time.