荀子历史哲学的文明之思:礼者人之所履

Xunzi's Philosophy of History in Civilizational Perspective:Ritual Principles Provide the Footing Men Tread on

文明衍化的中心是“人”,而荀子历史哲学思想的根本问题即“人”与“礼”的关系问题,“人”与“礼”的连结则有赖于“群”作为中间环节。对于“人”之意义的重新审视构成了荀子历史哲学的理论起点,在对“人之为人”的特质进行分析时,荀子观念中“人”所具有的“心知”与“能群”的先天本能才是与孟子“性善论”等量齐观的“人”的本质特征。而“礼”作为整个荀学思想的核心观念,其价值的呈现也离不开“人”以及“人之能群”的现实基础。因此就荀子历史哲学的观点来看,人类文明的延续很大程度上就是对“礼”的延续,无论现世或是历史,“礼”在人类社会中无疑都居于核心位置,而这样的历史观是一种显著区别于传统“英雄史观”“道德史观”乃至“制度史观”等思考路径,体现了文明化过程的逻辑进路,即“礼的历史观”。

The core of the evolution of civilization is centered around“human”and the central issue of Xunzi's philosophy of history lies in the relationship between“human”and“ritual”,which takes“society”as the intermediate link.The reexamination of the significance of“human”becomes the starting point of Xunzi's philosophy of history.In analyzing the reasons for“the human conditions”,Xunzi emphasizes that the innate instincts of“the mind to know”and“the ability to assemble”of“human”are the essential characteristics of“human”,which are on the same level as Mencius“theory of original goodness of human nature”.As the core concept in Xunzi's entire philosophical system,“ritual”relies on the foundation of“human”and the reality of“humans constituting society”for its value manifestation.Therefore,from the perspective of Xunzi's philosophy of history,the continuity of human civilization can be seen,in a certain sense,as the continuity of“ritual”.Regardless of the present or the historical context,“ritual”undoubtedly holds a central position in human societies.Such a historical perspective is clearly distinct from traditional views such as the“heroic view of history”,“moral view of history”and“institutional view of history”.It embodies the trajectory of the civilizing process,which is referred to as“the historical view of ritual”.