荀子崇“伪”论对孔子礼学意义的开显及其伦理意蕴

Xunzi’s Theory of Advocating “Wei” Reveals the Significance of Confucius’ Ritual Studies and Its Ethical Implication

孔子之学以仁礼合一为本,其后孟荀双峰突起,一显仁一显礼,各引一端,各有所成。在道德养成上,孟子重“性”,主“人之性善”,肯定道德先天,以为人顺此性扩而充之即可成善,凸显了德性伦理之意义;荀子崇“伪”,主性朴性恶,倡言道德后起,以为人性之朴必待“伪”而“美”之,人性之恶必待“伪”而“化”之,凸显了规范伦理之价值。荀子崇“伪”的人性论主张,充分开显了孔子礼学之意义,深化了其仁礼合一之学“克己复礼为仁”(以礼显仁)的维度,即强调通过后天认知实践礼义(“伪”)的修养努力涵养德性、养成人格。当然,如果在德性伦理视域下审视,荀子以性朴性恶之论逼出“积伪”之说,在开显礼学之意义的同时,却也面临着礼义无所出、价值自觉无保证的理论难题。

Confucius’theory was based on the unity of benevolence and ritual studies,followed by Mencius and Xunzi,one developed benevolence studies and the other developed ritual studies,each with its own success.Mencius valued“nature”and advocated“the goodness of human nature”.He affirmed the primacy of morality and thought that people could become good by expanding their virtue,which highlighted the significance of virtue ethics.Xunzi advocates“Wei”(伪),advocates that human nature is simple and evil,and advocates that morality is acquired,thinking that the simplicity of human nature must be treated as“Wei”but“beautiful”,and the evil of human nature must be treated as“Wei”but“transformed”,highlighting the value of normative ethics.Xunzi’theory of human nature about advocating the“Wei”,and fully deepened and developed Confucius’theory of rites,which emphasized the cultivation of virtue and cultivation of personality through acquired cognition and practice of rites.Of course,if viewed from the perspective of moral ethics,the theory of“Ji Wei”(积伪)highlighted by Xunzi’s theory of human nature,which is simple and evil of human nature,not only expresses the significance of rites,but also faces the theoretical problems of where rites come from and the lack of guarantee of value consciousness.