“一可以为法则”:荀子论“形”的理论意义

"A Model for Others":The Theoretical Significance of Xunzi's Theory of"Xing"

在先秦儒家思想中,“形”概念一般被理解为个人道德修养的外在呈现。而在荀子那里,“形”并不局限于个人的修身之事,还具有了礼则化的规范意义。荀子认为,“形”的实现必须通过“心”之持养,经历“心”之思虑、决断,不断地接纳与践行礼义法度,方能于外有所呈现,而“形”之展现,必须使之普遍化、礼则化,否则只是容貌、仪态、言辞的表现而已。一种没有标准衡量的道德修养,是无从判定修养境界的,也是无法令人信服的。“形”必须依从礼义,以礼义为准绳,从而实现客观的教化意义。

In pre-Qin Confucianism,the concept of"Xing"was generally under-stood as the external presentation of one's moral cultivation.Xunzi,1 however,belived that"Xing"is not limited to personal cultivation but alsohas the normative meaning of ritualization.According to Xunzi,the realization of"Xing"must be achieved through the cultivation of"mind",through the think-ing and deciding of"mind",and through the continuous acceptance and prac-tice of rituals and laws before it can be presented externally,a and the pre-sentation of"Xing"must be universalized and ritualized;otherwise,it is only the expression of appearance,gesture,and speech.A moral cultivation without standard measurement is no way to judge the cultivation realm and is not convincing.The"Xing"must be in accordance with ritual and righteousness,with ritual and righteousness as the criterion,SO as to realize theobjective meaning of edification.