荀学礼本论--荀子礼论考三则

On the Original Meaning of Rites of Xunzi’s Theory:An Investigation into Xunzi’s Theory of Rites

荀子后王论、天论、性恶论的理论依据与旨归均以礼作为根本。法后王并不意味着顺应时事,史料可征的先王皆可为荀子取法的对象;荀子的天论并非唯物主义式的宇宙论,荀子之天仍有道德、主宰的意涵;荀子的性恶亦未从形而上层面否定孟子性善论,而是在自然状态意义上否定了人具有向善的倾向。荀子提出法后王、天论和性恶论的目的均不在于批判旧有的哲学观念,建立新的形而上学体系,而是为了纠正思孟学派等前儒空谈心性之谬,重新确立礼的重要意义,为切实地恢复先王礼制提供可能。

Xunzi’s theory of the later kings,the heaven,and the human nature are all based on his theory of rites.“Follow the later kings”does not mean conformity to the trend of events.All the kings that can be documented in detail can be used as teachers of Xunzi.Xunzi’s“Theory of heaven”is not a materialistic cosmology.It still has a moral and sovereign connotation.Xunzi’s“Nature of evil”does not deny Mencius’theory of nature on a metaphysical level,but rather denies that human beings have a tendency towards goodness in the sense of the natural state.The purpose of Xunzi’s“Follow the Later King”,“Theory of Heaven”and“Nature of evil”is not to criticize the old philosophical concepts and establish a new metaphysical system,but to correct the empty talk about the nature of the mind by former Confucians such as the Simeng school,and to re-establish the importance of rites.As a result,these theories provide the possibility of restoring the ritual system of the previous kings in a practical way.