荀子“礼”学的旨归及内在逻辑

On the Purpose and Internal Logic of Xunzi’s Study of Ritual

社会政治纷争、礼乐文明崩坏的战国亟待重构稳定和谐的世事秩序。荀子赓续前代礼学,熔于一炉,给出了自洽性设想:在“明于天人之分”的基础上,荀子将礼视为人世的达道,一方面明确以礼奉养人的自然之欲,调节求欲行为,安顿个体生命,升华道德价值;另一方面强调以礼明分等级名分,促成分工合作,推动社会秩序形成和运转,以实现他澄清世事纷乱的初衷。为达成上述两重旨归,荀子寄望于势位尊崇的“圣王”,赋予了他制定礼法、裁夺刑罚的至高权柄,但在制衡王权方面,荀子倾向道德层面的慎终劝诫与警示,并未构想出合理可行的规约体系。

The social and political turmoil and the collapse of the rites and music civilization in the Warring States period urgently needed to reconstruct a stable and harmonious order of the world.Xunzi,who inherited the study of ritual of his predecessors and integrated them into a consistent system,presented a self consistent idea.Based on the“distinction between heaven and human beings”,Xunzi regarded the study of ritual as the way of achieving goals in the human world.On the one hand,he clearly stated that the rites are used to nurture the natural desires of people,regulate their behavior,and arrange individual lives to enhance moral values.On the other hand,he emphasized the use of rites to distinguish ranks and titles,promote division of labor and cooperation,and promote the formation and operation of social order,in order to achieve his original intention of clarifying the chaos of the world.So as to achieve the above two purposes,Xunzi attributed the hope to the“sage king”who held supreme power to formulate rites and laws and adjudicate penalties.However,in the aspect of checking the royal power,Xunzi tended to the moral level of cautious admonition and warning,and did not conceive a reasonable and feasible statute system.