冯友兰中国哲学简史中英文版之第十三章儒家的现实主义派荀子.docx

1、冯友兰中国哲学简史中英文版之第十三章儒家的现实主义派荀子CHAPTER 13 THE REALISTIC WING OF CONFUCIANISM: HSUN TZU 第十三章儒家的现实主义派：荀子THE three greatest figures of the School of Literati in the Chou dynasty were Confucius (551-479), Mencius (371?-289? ) and Hsun Tzu. The latters dates are not definitely known, but probably lay within

2、 the years 2.98 and 238 B.C.先秦儒家三个最大的人物是孔子，孟子，荀子。荀子的生卒年代不详，可能是在公元前298一前238年之间。Hsun Tzus personal name is Kuang, but he was also known under the alternative name of Hsun Ching. He was a native of the state of Chao in the southern part of the present Hopei and Shansi provinces. The Shih Chi or Histori

3、cal Records says in its biography of him (ch. 74) that when he was fifty he went to the state of Chi, where he was probably the last great thinker of the academy of Chi-hsia, the great center of learning of that time. The book hearting his name contains thirty-two chapters, many of them detailed and

4、 logically developed essays which probably come directly from his pen.荀子名况，又号荀卿，赵国（今河北省、山西省南部）人。史记的孟子、荀卿列传说他五十岁来到齐国，当时齐国稷下是很大的学术中心，他可能是稷下最后一位大思想家。荀子一书有三十二篇，其中很多是内容详细而逻辑严密的论文，可能是荀子亲笔所写的。Among the literati, Hsun Tzus thought is the antithesis of that of Mencius. Some people say that Mencius represents

5、 the left wing of the school, while Hsun Tzu represents ils right wing. This saying, while suggestive, is too much of a simplified generalization. Mencius was left in that he emphasized individual freedom, but he was right in that he valued super-moral values and therefore was nearer to religion. Hs

6、un Tzu was right in that he emphasized social control, but left in thai he expounded naturalism and therefore was in direct opposition to any religious ideas.儒家之中，荀子思想，是孟子思想的对立面。有人说孟子代表儒家的左翼，荀子代表儒家的右翼。这个说法，尽管很有道理，但是概括得过分简单化了。孟子有左也有右：左就左在强调个人自由；右就右在重视超道德的价值，因而接近宗教。荀子有右也有左：右就右在强调社会控制；左就左在发挥了自然主义，因而直接反

7、对任何宗教观念。Position of ManHsun Tzu is best known because of his theory that human nature is originally evil. This is directly opposed to that of Mencius according to which human nature is originally good. Superficially, il may seem that Hsun Tzu had a very low opinion of man, yet the truth is quite the

8、 contrary. Hsun Tzu s philosophy may be called a philosophy of culture. His general thesis is that everything that is good and valuable is the product of human effort. Value comes from culture and culture is the achievement of man. It is in this that man has the same importance in the universe as He

9、aven and Earth. As Hsun Tzu says: Heaven has its seasons, Earth has its resources, man has his culture. This is what is meant when it is said that man is able to form a trinity with Heaven and Earth. (Hsun-tzu, ch. 17.)人的地位 荀子最著名的是他的性恶学说。这与孟子的性善学说直接相反。表面上看，似乎荀子低估了人，可是实际上恰好相反。荀子的哲学可以说是教养的哲学。他的总论点是，凡是

10、善的、有价值的东西都是人努力的产物。价值来自文化，文化是人的创造。正是在这一点上，人在宇宙中与天地有同等的重要性。正如荀子所说：“天有其时，地有其财，人有其治，夫是谓之能参。”（荀子天论）Mencius said that by developing one s mind to the utmost, one knows ones nature, and by knowing ones nature, one knows Heaven. (Mencius, Vila, I.) Thus, according to Mencius, a sage, in order to become a sa

11、ge, must know Heaven. But Hsun Tzu maintains, on the contrary: It is only the sage who does not seek to know Heaven. (Hsun-lzu, ch. 17.)孟子说：“尽其心者，知其性也，知其性，则知天矣。”（孟子尽心上）可见在孟子看来，圣人要成为圣人，必须“知天”，但是荀子则相反，认为：“唯圣人为不求知天”。（天论）According to Hsun Tzu, the three powers of the universe, Heaven, Earth and man, eac

12、h has its own particular vocation: The stars make their rounds; the sun and moon alternately shine; the four seasons succeed one another; the Yin and Yang go through their great mutations; wind and rain are widely distributed; all things acquire their harmony and have their lives. (Ibid.) Such is th

13、e vocation of Heaven and Earth. But the vocation of man is to utilize what is offered by Heaven and Earth and thus create his own culture. Hsun Tzu asks: Is it not much better to heap up wealth and use it advantageously than to exalt Heaven and think about it? (Ibid.) And then he continues: If we ne

14、glect what man can do and think about Heaven, we fail to understand the nature of things. (Ibid.) For in so doing, according to Hsun Tzu, man forgets his own vocation; by daring to think about Heaven, he arrogates the vocation of Heaven. This is to give up that wherewith man can form a trinity with

15、Heaven and Earth, and yet still desire such a trinity. This is a great illusion. (Ibid.)荀子认为，宇宙的三种势力：天、地、人，各有自己特殊的职责。“列星随旋，日月递照，四时代御，阴阳大化，风雨博施，万物各得其和以生”（同上），这是天、地的职责。但是人的职责是，利用天地提供的东西，以创造自己的文化。荀子说：“大天而思之，孰与物畜而制之！”（同上）又说：“故错（措）人而思天，则失万物之情。”（同上）照荀子的说法，如果忽视人所能做的一切，就会忘记人的职责，如果敢于“思天”，就会冒充天履行天的职责。这就是“舍其所以

16、参，而愿其所参，则惑矣。”（同上）Theory of Human NatureHuman nature, too, should be cultured, for, from Hsun Tzu s view, the very fact that it is uncultured means that it cannot be good. Hsun Tzus thesis is that the nature of man is evil; his goodness is acquired training. (Hsiln-tzu, ch. 2.3.) According to him, na

17、ture is the unwrought material of the original; what are acquired are the accomplishments and refinements brought about by culture. Without nature there would be nothing upon which to add the acquired. Without the acquired, nature could not become beautiful of itself. (Ibid.)人性的学说 人性也必须加以教养，因为照荀子所说，

18、凡是没有经过教养的东西不会是善的。荀子的论点是；“人之性，恶；其善者，伪也。”（荀子性恶）伪，就是人为。照他看来，“性者，本始材朴也；伪者，文理隆盛也。无性则伪之无所加；无伪则性不能自美。”（荀子礼论）Although Hsun Tzu s view of human nature is the exact opposite of that of Mencius, he agrees with him that it is possible for every man to become a sage, if he choose. Mencius had said that any man c

19、an become a Yao or Shun (two traditional sages). And Hsun Tzu says likewise that any man in the street can become a Yu another traditional sage. (Ibid.) This agreement has led some people to say that there is no real difference between the two Confucianists after all. Yet as a matter of fact, despit

20、e this seeming agreement, the difference is very real.荀子的人性论虽然与孟子的刚好相反，可是他也同意：人人能够成为圣人。孟子说：人皆可以为尧舜。荀子也承认：“涂之人可以为禹。”（荀子性恶）这种一致，使得有些人认为这两位儒家并无不同。事实上不然，尽管这一点表面上相同，本质上大不相同。According to Mencus, man is born with the four beginnings of the four constant virtues. By fully developing these beginnings, he bec

21、omes a sage.But according to Hsun Tzu, man is not only born without any beginnings of goodness, but, on the contrary, has actual beginnings of evilness. In the chapter titled On the Evilness of Human Nature, Hstin Tzu tries to prove that man is born with inherent desire for profit and sensual pleasu

22、re. But, despite these beginnings of evilness, he asserts that man at the same time possesses intelligence, and that this intelligence makes it possible for him to become good. In his own words: Every man on the street has the capacity of knowing human-heartedness, righteousness, obedience to law an

23、d uprightness, and the means to carry out these principles. Thus it is evident that he can become a Ytt. (Ibid.) Thus whereas Mencius says that any man can become a Yao or Shun, because he is originally good, Hsun Tzu argues that any man can become a Yu, because he is originally intelligent.照孟子所说，仁、

24、义、礼、智的“四端”是天生的，只要充分发展这四端，人就成为圣人。但是照荀子所说，人不仅生来毫无善端，相反地倒是具有实际的恶端。在性恶篇中，荀子企图证明，人生来就有求利求乐的欲望。但是他也肯定，除了恶端，人同时还有智能，可以使人向善。用他自己的话说：“涂之人也。皆有可以知仁、义、法、正之质，皆有可以能仁、义、法、正之具，然则其可以为禹，明矣。”（性恶）可见，孟子说人皆可以为尧舜，是因为人本来是善的；荀子论证涂之人可以为禹，是因为人本来是智的。Origin of MoralityThis leads to the question: How, then, can man become morall

25、y good? For if every man is born evil, what is the origin of good? To answer this question, Hsun Tzu offers two lines of argument.道德的起源 这就引起一个问题：既然如此，人在道德方面如何能善？因为，每个人如果生来就是恶的，那么，道德又起源于什么呢？为了回答这个问题，荀子提出了两个方面的论证。In the first place, Hsun Tzu maintains that men cannot live without some kind of a social

26、 organization. The reason for this is that, in order to enjoy better living, men have need of co-operation and mutual support. Hsun Tzu says: A single individual needs the support of the accomplishments of hundreds of workmen. Yet an able man cannot be skilled in more than one line, and one man can

27、not hold two offices simultaneously. If people all live alone and do not serve one another, there will be poverty. (Ch. 10.) Likewise, men need to be united in order to conquer other creatures: Mans strength is not equal to that of the ox; his running is not equal to that of the horse; and yet ox an

28、d horse are used by him. How is this? I say that it is because men are able to form social organizations, whereas the others are unable.When united, men have greater strength; having greater strength, they become powerful; being powerful, they can overcome other creatures. (Ibid.)第一个方面，荀子指出，人们不可能没有某

29、种社会组织而生活。这是因为，人们要生活得好些，有必要合作互助。荀子说：“百技所成，所以养一人也。而能不能兼技，人不能兼官，离居不相待则穷：”（荀子富国）还因为，人们需要联合起来，才能制服其他动物。人“力不若牛，走不若马，而牛马为用，何也？曰：人能群，彼不能群也。一则多力，多力则强，强则胜物。”（荀子王制）For these two reasons, men must have a social organization. And in order to have a social organization, they need rules of conduct. These are the I

30、i (rites, ceremonies, customary rules of living) which hold an important place in Confucianism generally, and arc especially emphasized by Hsun Tzu. Speaking about the origin of the li, he says: Whence do the li arise? The answer is that man is born with desires. When these desires are not satisfied

31、, he cannot remain without seeking their satisfaction. When this seeking for satisfaction is without measure or limit, there can only be contention. When there is contention, there will be disorder. When there is disorder, everything will be finished. The early kings hated this disorder, and so they

32、 established the li rules of conduct and yi righteousness, moralityJ, to set an end to this confusion. (Ch. 19.)由于这两种原因，人们一定要有社会组织。为了有社会组织、人们需要行为的规则。这就是“礼”。儒家一般都重视礼，荀子则特别强调礼。讲到礼的起源，荀子说：“礼起于何也？曰：人生而有欲，欲而不得，则不能无求，求而无度量分界，则不能不争。争则乱，乱则穷。先王恶其乱也，故制礼义以分之，以养人之欲，给人之求，使欲必不穷乎物，物必不屈于欲，两者相持而长，是礼之所起也。”（荀子礼论）In another chapter, Hsun Tzu writes: People desire and hale the same things. Their desires are many, but things are few. Since they are few there will inevitably be strife. (Ch. 10.) Hsun Tzu ,