荀子人性论新探:仁且知的人性生成

A New Exploration of Xunzi's Theory of Human Nature:The Generation of Humanity with Benevolence and Knowledge

人性问题是儒家核心命题之一,荀子不同于孟子以性善起论而言性恶,由此引发千百年来关于性善性恶的争论。荀子所言之性,包含着情性、欲性,且情、性、欲三者是不分的,而就情感与欲望本身而言也不是恶的。荀子言性恶,其实是从礼义与人伦共处的角度讲的。但是,既然言性恶,善又何以可能?所以荀子通过知性,也就是心之知,虚一而静的大清明之心的知道、可道,也就是知礼义可礼义之心,解释了善何以可能的问题。当然不论情性、欲性、知性等,此皆“天之就也”之性,皆乃天予之、生来具备的。而荀子论性还需注意的是其积伪(为)而成的生成性,此是人在不断积伪(为)的过程中所实现的日生日成之性,而其生成之性的终极之处便是仁知且不蔽的圣人之境。而荀子积伪以成性的人性生成论,也为当今人性与个体性相结合的现代人性论转化提供了思路。

The question of human nature is one of the core propositions of Confucianism,but Xunzi was different from Mencius,who was based on the goodness of human nature,while Xunzi was based on the evilness of human nature,which triggered the debate on the goodness and evilness of human nature for thousands of years.The nature that Xunzi speaks of includes the nature of emotion and the nature of desire,of course there is no distinction between emotion,nature,and desire,and emotion and desire are not evil in themselves.When Xunzi spoke of the nature of evil,he was actually speaking from the perspective of the coexistence of propriety and human decency.But how was the goodness possible while he said the nature is evil? So Xunzi explained the question through the knowing of nature,that is,the knowing of heart,when the knowing of the heart was in a state of clarity,that it knew the Tao and agreed the Tao,which the Tao that is Li.Of course,regardless of the nature of emotions,desires,and knowledge,these are all the nature of "the nature of heaven," which is given by heaven and possessed by nature.on the other hand,what we also need to pay attention to is the generative nature in Xunzi' thought,which is realized in the process of accumulating for the person's daily becoming.The ultimate goal of its generative nature is to become sage who is benevolent、wisdom and knows without concealment.And Xunzi's generative theory of human nature,which also provides ideas for today's modern transformation of human nature theory that combines human nature and individuality.