冯友兰中国哲学简史中英文版之儒家的现实主义派荀子

1、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 the years 2.98 and 238 B.C.

2、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 Historical Records says in it

3、s 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 logically developed e

4、ssays 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 the left wing

5、 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. Hsun Tzu was rig

6、ht 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，因而直接反对任 何宗教

7、观念。Position of Man Hsun 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 con

8、trary. 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 Heaven

9、 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 thatman 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，凡是善的

10、、 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

11、a sage, 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

12、and man, each 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.

13、) Such is the 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 continu

14、es: If we neglect what man can do and think aboutHeaven, 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 tr

15、inity with 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

16、果敢于“思天 ”，就会冒充天履行天的职责。 这就是“舍其所以参，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-tz

17、u, ch. 2.3.） According to him, nature 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

18、. （Ibid.）人性的学说人性也必须加以教养，因为照荀子所 说，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 h

19、e choose. Mencius had said that any man can 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 a

20、fter all. Yet as a matter of fact, despite 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 子性恶）这种一致，使得有些人认也承认： “涂之人可以为禹。荀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. B

21、y fully developing these beginnings, he becomes 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 in

22、herent desire for profit and sensual pleasure. 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-hear

23、tedness, righteousness, obedience to law and 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, be

24、cause he is originally intelligent.照孟子所说，仁、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 lea

25、ds to the question: How, then, can man become morally 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 maint

26、ains that men cannot live without some kind of a social 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 ca

27、nnot be skilled in more than one line, and one man can 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 r

28、unning is not equal to that of the horse; and yet ox and horse are used by him. How is this? I say that it is because men are able to form social organizations, whereas the othersare unableWhen united, menhave greater strength; having greater strength, they become powerful; being powerful, they can

29、overcome other creatures. （Ibid.） 第一个方面，荀子指出，人们不可能 没有某种社会组织而生活。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

30、 social organization, they need rules of conduct. These are the Ii (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 th

31、at man is born with desires. When these desires are not satisfied, 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 w

32、ill be finished. The early kings hated this disorder, and so they 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

33、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 ,here points to one of the fundame

34、ntal troubles in human life. If people did not all desire and hate the same thingsforinstance, if one liked to conquer and the other enjoyed being conqueredthere would be notrouble between them and they would live together quite harmoniously. Or, if all the things that everyone desired were very ple

35、ntiful, like the free air, then too there would be no trouble. Or yet a-gain if people could live quite apart from one another, the problem would be much simpler. But the world is not so ideal. People must live together, and in order to do so without contention, a limit must be imposed on everyone i

36、n the satisfaction of his desires. The function of the li is to set this limit. When there are the li, there is morality. He who acts according to the li acts morally. He who acts against them acts immorally.荀子还说： “欲恶同物，欲多而物寡， 寡则必争矣。”（荀子 富国）荀子 在此指出的，正是人类的根本烦恼之 一。如果人们所欲与所恶不是同一 物，比方说，有人喜欢征服人，有人 也就喜欢被人

37、征服，那么这两种人之 间当然没有麻烦，可以十分和谐地一 起生活。或是人人所欲之物极其充 足，像可以自由呼吸的空气一样，当 然也不会有麻烦。又或者人们可以孤 立生活，各不相干，问题也会简单得 多。可是世界并不是如此理想。人们 必须一起生活，为了在一起生活而无 争，各人在满足自己的欲望方面必须 接受一定的限制。礼的功能就是确定 这种限制。有礼，才有道德。遵礼而 行就是道德，违礼而行就是不道德。This is one line of Hsun Tzu s argument to explain the origin of moral goodness. It is quite utilitarian

38、istic, and resembles that ofMo Tzu.这是荀子所作的一个方面的论证，以 解释道德上的善的起源。这种论证完 全是功利主义的，与墨子的论证很相 似。Hsun Tzu also employs another line of argument. He writes: Man is not truly man in the fact that he, uniquely, has two feet and no hair over his body, but ruther in the fact that he makes social distinctions. Bir

39、ds and beasts have fathers and offspring, but not the affection between father and son. They are male and female, but do not have the proper separation between males and females. Hence in the Way of Humanity there must be distinctions. No distinctions are greater than those of society. No social dis

40、tinctions are greater than the li. (Ch. 5.)荀子还提出了另一方面的论证。他 说：“人之所以为人者， 非特以其二足而无毛也，以其有辨也。夫禽兽有父 子而无父子之亲，有牝牡而无男女之别。故人道莫不有辨，辨莫大于分，分莫大于礼。”(荀子 非相)Here Hsun Tzu points out the difference between what is of nature and what is of culture, or, as Chuang Tzu puts it, what is of nature and what is of man. The f

41、act that birds and beasts have fathers and offspring and that they are either male or female, is a fact of nature. The social relationships between father and son, husband and wife, on the contrary, are products of culture and civilization. They are not gifts of nature, but achievements of spirit. M

42、an should have social relations and the li, because it is these that distinguish him from birds and beasts. According to this line of argument, man must have morality, not because he cannot help it, but because he ought to have it. This line of argument is more akin to that of Mencius.这里荀子指出了何为自然何为人

43、为 的区别，也就是庄子所作的天与人的 区别。禽兽有父子，有牝牡，这是自 然。至于父子之亲，男女之别，则不是自然，而是社会关系，是人为和文 化的产物。它不是自然的产物，而是 精神的创造。人应当有社会关系和 礼，因为只有它们才使人异于禽兽。从这个方面的论证看来，人要有道 德，并不是因为人无法避开它，而是 因为人应当具备它。这方面的论证又 与孟子的论证更其相似。In Confucianism, li is a very comprehensive idea. It can be translated as ceremonies, rituals, or rules of social conduct

44、. It is all these, but in the above arguments, it is taken more or less in the third sense. In this sense, the function of the li is to regulate. The li provide regulation for the satisfaction of man s desires.But in the sense of ceremonies and rituals, the li have another function, that of refining

45、. In this sense, the li give refinement and purification to mans emotions. In this latter interpretation, Hsun Tzu also made a great contribution.在儒家学说中，礼是一个内容丰富的 综合概念。它指礼节、礼仪，又指社 会行为准则。但是在上述论证中，它 还有第三种意义。在这种意义上，礼 的功能就是调节。人要满足欲望，有 礼予以调节。但是在礼节、礼仪的意 义上。礼有另一种功能，就是使人文 雅。在这种意义上，礼使人的情感雅 化，净化。对于后者的解释。荀子也作出

46、了重大的贡献。Theory of Riles and MusicFor the Confucianists, the most important of the ceremonies are those of mourning and sacrifice (especially to the ancestors). These ceremonies were universal at that time, and as popularly practiced they contained not a little of superstition and mythology. In justif

47、ying them, however, the Confucianists gave them new interpretations and read into them new ideas. These we find in the Hsun-tzu and the Li Chi or Book of Rites.礼、乐的学说 儒家以为，丧礼和祭礼（特别是祭祖 宗）在礼中最为重要。丧礼、祭礼当 时普遍流行，不免含有不少的迷信和 神话。为了加以整顿。儒家对它们作 出新的解释，注入新的观念，见于荀 子和礼记之中。Among the Confucian classics, there are t

48、wo devoted to the rites. One is the Yi Li or Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial, which is a factual record of the procedures of ceremonies as practiced at that time. The other is the Li Chi, which consists of the interpretations on the ceremonies given by the Confucianists. I believe that most of the

49、chapters of the Li Chi were written by the followers of Hsun Tzu.儒家经典中，有两部是专讲礼的。一 部是仪礼，是当时所行的各种典 礼程序实录。另一部是礼记 ，是 儒家对这些典礼所作的解释。我相 信，礼记各篇大多数是荀子门人 写的。Our mind has two aspects, the intellectual and the emotional. When our loved ones die, we know, through our intellect, that the dead are dead and that th

50、ere is no rational ground for believing in the immortality of the soul. If we were to act solely under the direction of our intellect, therefore, we would need no mourning rites. But since our mind also has its emotional aspect, this causes us, when our loved ones die, to hope that the dead may live

51、 again and that there may be a soul that will continue existing in the other world. When we thus give way to our fancy, we take superstition as truth, and deny the judgment of our intellect.人心有两方面：理智的，情感的。亲 爱的人死了，理智上也知道死人就是 死了，没有理由相信灵魂不灭。如果 只按照理智的指示行动，也许就没有 丧礼的需要。但是人心的情感方面， 使人在亲人死了的时候，还希望死人 能复活，希望有个

52、灵魂会继续存在于 另外一个世界。若按照这种幻想行 事，就会以迷信为真实，否认理智的判断。Thus there is a difference between what we know and what we hope. Knowledge is important, but we cannot live with knowledge only. We need emotional satisfaction as well.In determining our attitude towards the dead, we have to take both aspects into conside

53、ration. As interpreted by the Confu- cianists, the mourning and sacrificial rites did precisely this. I have said that these rites were originally not without superstition and mythology. But with the interpretations of the Confucianists, these aspects were purged. The religious elements in them were

54、 transformed into poetry, so that they were no longer religious, but simply poetic.所以，知道的，希望的，二者不同。 知识是重要的，可是也不能光靠知识 生活，还需要情感的满足。在决定对 死者的态度时，不能不考虑理智和情 感这两个方面。照儒家解释的，丧祭 之礼正好做到了这一点。我已经说 过，这些礼本来含有不少迷信和神 话。但是经过儒家的解释，这些方面 都净化了。其中宗教成分都转化为 诗。所以它们不再是宗教的了，而单 纯是诗的了。Religion and poetry are both expressions of

55、the fancy of man. They both mingle imagination with reality. The difference between them is that religion takes what it itself says as true, while poetry takes what it itself says as false. What poetry presents is not reality, and it knows that it is not. Therefore it deceives itself, yet it is a co

56、nscious self-deception. It is very unscientific, yet it does not contradict science. In poetry we obtain emotional satisfaction without obstructing the progress of the intellect.宗教，诗，二者都是人的幻想的表现。 二者都是把想象和现实融合起来。所 不同者，宗教是把它当作真的来说， 而诗是把它当作假的来说。诗所说的 不是真事，它自己也知道不是真事。 所以，它是自己欺骗自己，可是是自觉的自欺。它很不科学，可是并不反 对科学

57、。我们从诗中得到情感的满足 而并不妨碍理智的进步。According to the Confucianist, when we perform the mourning and sacrificial rites, we are deceiving ourselves without being really deceived. In the Li Chi, Confucius is reported to have said: In dealing with the dead, if we treat them as if they were really dead, that would

58、mean a want of affection,and should not be done. If we treat them as if they were really alive, that would mean a want of wisdom, and should not be done. (Ch. 2.) That is to say, we cannot Ireat the dead simply as we know, or hope, them to be. The middle way is to treat them both as we know and as w

59、e hope them to be. This way consists in treating the dead as if they were living.照儒家所说，我们行丧祭之礼的时 候，是在欺骗自己，而又不是真正的 欺骗。礼记记孔子说： “之死而致 死之，不仁，而不可为也。之死而致 生之，不智，而不可为也。 ”（檀弓 上）这就是说，我们对待死者。不可 以只按我们所知道的，或者只按我们 所希望的，去对待。应当采取中间的 方式，既按所知道的， 又按所希望的， 去对待。这种方式就是，对待死者， 要像他还活着那样。In Ins Treatise on Rites, Hsun Tzu says: The rites are careful