“义立而王”——荀子“王政”思想研究

“Being King by Establishing the Moral”:Research on Xunzi’s Thought of the“Kingly Way”

荀子"义立而王"的政治思想是战国末长期兼并战争的产物,荀子通过对人性的分析,阐明了礼义在调节人欲、去乱止争方面的作用。荀子认为,世间的一切纷争皆源自人欲对利益不合理的追求,因此需要礼义对追求利益的目的、方法等进行规范,做到人人各得其宜,实现"群居和一"的有序社会。荀子将礼义作为治国治民之本,其中君主和君子发挥着重要的教化作用,他们以自身的美德和才能引导全社会朝着礼义要求的方向前进,并最终实现以愿民、治法、美俗、贤士为四要素的"王政",建立"天下为一"的中央集权制国家。

Xunzi’s political idea of"being king by establishing the moral"was a product of long-term annexation wars during the late Warring States.By analyzing human nature,he expounded the role of rites and righteousness in regulating human desires,removing disorder and stopping fights.According to his analysis,all disputes in the world originate from unreasonable human desires for interests,so it is necessary to regulate purposes and methods of pursuing interests with rites and righteousness,thus meeting reasonable needs of everyone and achieving"the great harmony"of an orderly society.He regarded rites and righteousness as the foundation of governing the state and the people,in which the king and noble men played the important role of educators.They guided the whole society in the direction required by rites and righteousness with their own virtue and talent,to finally realize the"kingly way"with the four elements of simple and kind people,governance-oriented laws,good customs and distinguished men,and establish a"unified"centralized state.