礼义教化:荀子伦理-政治共同体文化理想的精神

An Inquiry into Xunzian Cultural Ideal of the Ethical-Political Community

伦理学所承诺的“优良生活”,其要有二:其一,德也;其一,福也。德福一致,义命两全,方为至善。在儒家,义在价值上独立且优先于命。然而,对于至善的实现,义只是必要而不充分的条件。为德福一致故,与康德从道德走向宗教不同,荀子从道德走向了政治,寻求通过社会的良治实现生命的完满,呈现出一种独特的伦理-政治共同体文化理想。首先,“国无礼则不正”,荀子主张礼治,而其赖以治国的“礼义”实兼具伦理与政治双重意涵,贯通着个体的完善与共同体的完善。其次,“君子治治,非治乱也”,荀子将政治共同体的正当性基础建立在个体的完善之上,以此判定政治的优劣。再次,“凝士以礼,凝民以政”,荀子对法的吸收并非所谓“外在道德”的歧出,而只是礼治的一种变奏,最终亦以自我完善为导向。整体而言,荀子在肯定共同体本位的同时,保留了个体与共同体之间的张力,从而维系着批判共同体可能走向异化的价值基础。对于儒家政治哲学的当代更新而言,荀子伦理-政治共同体文化理想不失为一种可能的理论资源。

The“good life”promised by ethics should have two aspects:morality and blessings.A harmony between virtue and fortune,or,an integration of morality and destiny,will lead to highest good.In Confucianism,morality is both independent of and prioritized over destiny.As for a realization of highest good,however,morality merely provides a necessary but insufficient condition.Seeking for a consistency between morality and fortune,Xunzi chose an approach quite different from Kant who proceeded from morality to religion.Specifically speaking,Xunzi moved from morality to politics.He attempted to achieve perfection of life through politically well-ordered society,and illustrated a unique cultural ideal of an ethical-political community with the following characteristics.Firstly,according to Xunzi,li-yi礼义actually has both ethical and political implications,which in this way constitutes the interaction between improvements of individuals and those of their community.Secondly,Xunzi regarded self-improvement as the legitimate foundation for a political community.Thirdly,the absorption of laws by Xunzi into his thoughts is by no means a deviation of any socalled"external morality",but a variation of the rule of etiquette instead which should ultimately be guided by self-improvement.To summarize,while Xunziz did affirm the standard of a community,he nonetheless left the tension between individuals and their community intact,thus maintaining a foundation of value for criticizing possible alienations of the community.In this sense,Xunzi's cultural ideal of the ethical-political community undoubtedly offers a possible theoretical resource to the contemporary updating of Confucian political philosophy.