Guodian Chujian 'Sexual Pretense' and Xunzi's Philosophy of Sexuality
About the Author 丨Yan Binggang is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Philosophy and Social Development of Shandong University, and the deputy director of the Confucian Research Center of Shandong University.
The original article was published in the journal "History of Chinese Philosophy", No. 1, 2009.
Chu Jian's "Sexual Pretense" (hereinafter referred to as "Temperament") is an important philosophical document recently unearthed, and its status in the history of thought is comparable to the "Five Elements" of the Tomb book of Mawangdui Han in Changsha. Most scholars believe that "Temperament" is a work after Confucius and before Mencius. However, after Confucius did not die, there were many schools of Confucianism, whether the author was Zi Sizi, or Zi Youshi, or Gongsun Nizi, there were many opinions, and there was no consensus. This article argues that "Temperament" is very close to Xunzi's philosophical ideological tendency of love, which is an important source of Xunzi's theory of human nature and an important theoretical basis for Xunzi's criticism of Mencius. Judging from Xun Zi's self-proclaimed xuezong Confucius and Zi Gong, we think that "Temperament" may be the work of Ran Yong or his later studies.
First, the essence of sex is stipulated: gas and materiality
There are many places where Sex is discussed in Temperament, of which the following text is the most important:
Although mortals have a sexual heart, they have no fixed will. Wait for things and then do, wait for pleasure and then act, wait for learning and then settle. Moody and sad, sex also. And if it is seen outside, then the object is also taken. Sex is pretentious, destined to fall from heaven. The Tao begins with love, and love is born from sex. The beginning is close to affection, and the end is close to righteousness. Those who know [can] come out, and those who know righteousness can enter. Likes and dislikes, sex also. What is good and what is evil, so is the thing. Good [unwholesome, sex also], what is good is not good, the potential is also.
The lustful eyes, the music of the ears, and the breath of the pottery are also difficult for people to die for.
"Although mortals have a sexual heart, they have no fixed will" is generally broken as "although mortals have sex, their hearts are not determined", reading through the whole text, it seems to be inconsistent with the meaning of the text. From the point of view of the text, the main idea is not that the mind is uncertain, but that the sex is uncertain. "Waiting for things and then doing, waiting for pleasure and then acting, waiting to be learned and then fixed" refers not only to the mind, but also to sex, "and if it is seen outside, then the object is also taken", the word "its" here is neither sex nor heart, but "sexual mind", and the following "although [man] has a sexual mind, he cannot take it out" agrees. "Sexual mind" is the qi mind, which is not the nature mind in the sense of Si Meng, nor is it the Taoist mind, the cheng mind, the original mind, the habitual mind, and so on, but refers to the state of the sexual mind before the natural qi nature of man is not judged. Sexuality is an important term contributed to Chinese philosophy by the Author of Chu Jian, and this term has room for further discussion.
The author of "Temperament" has two definitions of sex: (1) "Moody and sad, sex also." (ii) "Likes and dislikes, sex also." From the first definition, it can be seen that in the view of the author of "Temperament", mood and sorrow are emotions rather than sex, and the material or physiological basis for achieving joy and sorrow is sex. Sex is internal, emotion is external; sex is the body, love is use; sex is hidden, emotion is explicit. "Mood, anger, sorrow, and sorrow, sex" is obviously a temperament, not a rational nature, or a temperament rather than a moral nature, a righteous nature. "Likes and dislikes, so does sex; what is good and what is evil, so does things." The likes and dislikes mentioned here are not emotions, but the value tendency of emotions or "desires", the emotional values of likes and dislikes tend to originate from the subject, and the good and evil are the objects of likes and dislikes. The sex mentioned in "Temperament" is the nature of qi, the nature of materials; it is sex in terms of emotion, sex in terms of desire, or sex in terms of desire.
For a long time, people have summarized the xunzi theory of human nature with the word "sexual evil", in fact, Xunzi's theory of human nature is far more complicated than sexual evil. In his philosophy of erotic nature, there are multiple meanings such as materiality, intellectuality, eroticity, desire, and the nature of human nature. "Temperament" may constitute the direct source of Xunzi's thought.
Sex, the heavens are also, can not be learned, can not be done. ("Xunzi Sexual Evil")
The reason for the birth is called sex. ("Xunzi Zhengming")
Sexual beings, the original material is simple. ("Xunzi Li Theory")
The sum of sex is born, the essence of induction, and the nature of nature. ("Xunzi Zhengming")
Ai Kubo believes that "the reason why life is natural" agrees with the "predicate sex of destiny" in the "Zhongyong"; Liang Qixiong believes that this "sex" refers to the essence of talent, the physiological "sex". If this statement is true, then Xunzi's "the one who is born is sex" or "the sex is also the nature of the heavens" is a concise and well-known expression of "sex is predetermined, and destiny is descended from heaven" in "Temperament". In terms of the fact that sex is a talent, there is no difference between Si Meng and Xun Zi, and the difference between the two factions is what is the content of the nature of "Heavenly Destiny" or "Destiny"? Si Meng believes that the nature of talent is moral and righteous, and Xun Zi believes that the nature of talent is natural and material, "The sex of nature, the original material is simple." Xun Zi's "sum of nature is born, refined induction, and naturally called sex without doing anything", Yang Liang's note: "And, yin and yang rush and qi also." Things, any envoys also. The nature of the speaker is born of harmony and qi, and the induction is refined, and it is natural not to make it. Say so by nature also. It can be seen that Xunzi's thesis on human nature is not self-created, but has its original origin, which may be "Temperament". The original simplicity of sex is completely consistent with the temperament of "Temperament", and it is very different from the nature of righteousness and morality of the SiMeng School.
The nature of this man, hungry and full, cold and warm, tired and restless, this man's emotional nature. ("Xunzi Sexual Evil")
If the eyes are lustful, the ears are good, the mouth is good, the heart is good, the bones and skin are good and pleasant, and they are all born of human love. Feeling natural, not waiting for things and the afterlife also. ("Xunzi Sexual Evil")
The husband is good for profit and wants to get, and the person's sentiment is also. ("Xunzi Sexual Evil")
It can be said that this is the concretization of the proposition of "likes and dislikes, sex; what is good and evil, things are also". However, Xunzi clearly pointed out what the "things" that were good and evil were. Xun Zi further pointed out along the path of "Temperament" that this is also human affection.
Xun Zi once explained the relationship between sex, lust, and desire. He said, "He who is sexual, the heavenly one, the lover, the quality of sex, and the lustful, the love should also be." Some scholars believe that Xunzi's sex, emotion, and desire are one thing, so there is no difference between love and sex, and even think that the three are "that is, sex is love and desire." Sex, emotion, and desire do have a consistent relationship in Xunzi's thought system, but careful analysis should contain subtle differences and cannot be completely confused. Sex is innate or innate to man, and emotions can be regarded as the content of sex, "the feelings of sexual good, evil, joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure." ("Xunzi Zhengming") "The love of thousands of people, the love of one person is also." (Xunzi Bugou) Desire can be said to be a value tendency generated by emotion. Sex is the body of love, love is the use of sex, and desire is the expression and expression of love. From the aspect of "erotic nature" and "lust", the "likes and dislikes, sexes; what is good and what is evil, things also" is Xunzi's erotic nature, even lust.
Of course, the "likes and dislikes" of "Temperament" can not only be said in terms of emotion and desire, but also in terms of value trends, and even in terms of intellectuality. There is no difference between the so-called "sincere intentions, such as the evil smell, such as good lust" and what Xunzi said about "lustful eyes, good ears, good taste", etc., in terms of desire, are "feeling natural, not waiting for things to happen", but the author of "University" introduced it into the field of moral cultivation, and Xunzi reduced this likes and dislikes to human instincts, which is the nature of man.
Second, the movement of sex, inverse, nourishment, growth and sexualization, product
From the point of view of Si Meng's sexual goodness, the process of human sanctification is a process of constantly replying to one's own nature and constantly revealing one's own nature, that is to say, the nature cannot be transformed, nor can it be transformed, and the nature is good and transformed, is it not evil? The nature of Xunzi is material and qualitative, it should be transformed, molded, and created, and if it is not transformed, will it not be eternally evil? The sex of "Temperament" is precisely transformable, malleable, and manufacturable, and in this sense, "Temperament" is closer to Xun Xue and more distant from Si Mengxue. It says:
Where sex is the mainstay, things are also taken. The sound of the golden stone, [The Fern does not sound, the man] Although there is a sexual heart, the Fer cannot take it.
Whoever has ambitions in his heart, has nothing and cannot. Man shall not walk alone, and he shall not speak alone. The ox is born and grows, the goose is born and stretched, and its nature [so, man] and learn or make it also.
All things are different, just trees, just take them, soft covenants, soft take also. Within the four seas, its nature is also one, its intentions are different, and its teaching is also so.
Whatever is sex, or moving, or inverse, or intercourse, or strong, or angry, or nurtured, or long.
Whoever is active, the thing is also; the contrarian, the joyful; the intercourse, so also; the strong, the righteous; the temperament, the potential; the nourishing, the habitual; the long, the Tao. In the view of the author of "Temperament", man is different from animals, the nature of animals is its instinct, such as "cattle are born and grow" that is, cattle can stand and grow when they are born, "geese are born and stretch (sound)" that is, hong geese can make sounds when they are born, this is "sex, so that it is also", human nature is the reason why people are human nature or why people are human, they need to learn the day after tomorrow, and they need a socialized process to become people, "people learn or make them also". In Mencius's view, the four ends of human benevolence, righteousness, etiquette, and wisdom are innate, not external to us, and we do not deny that Zisi and Mencius emphasize the importance of learning and the importance of teaching, but at the source of human nature, they believe that moral benevolence is not obtained through teaching and learning, but is innate. "Seeking oneself against oneself" and "not losing the heart of a pure child" became Mencius's pursuit. On the contrary, Xun Zi believed that human nature is complex, and many of man's abilities and even moral benevolence are acquired, so he emphasizes the importance of teaching and indoctrination. Therefore, Xunzi emphasized the important role of learning in the formation of personality, so there was a passage of "Persuasion" that was recited through the ages. "The rope of the wood is straight, and the gold is sharp and profitable" means that a person can only become a qualified person through enlightenment. "For example, the Yue people An Yue, the Chu people An Chu, and the gentleman An Xia, are non-intellectual, and they are the differences of the wrong customs." "Yao Yu is also the one who is not born with it." Husbands start from change, and become cultivators. (Xunzi Rong and Disgrace) The proposition of "teaching the envoy to be natural" is close to the Xunxue tradition and far from the Mengxue tradition.
In the view of the author of "Temperament", the "sex" of man is not born like this, unchanged, but movable, reversible, intercourse, powerful, stilted, nurturing, and long. Movement, reversal, intercourse, strength, convulsion, nurturing, longevity, etc. are the ways or means of sexual completion, and as for what ways and means to complete the human nature, the material, pleasing, so, righteous, potential, nourishment, habit, Tao, etc., can be regarded as the tools for the completion of human nature. According to the Si Meng tradition, there is no problem with nurturing nature, longevity, etc., because Si Meng believes that the innate nature of human beings is crystal clear, clear, transparent, and good, and we can only protect and cultivate it, so the Si Meng tradition will not agree with the human nature (bending), reverse (repression), intercourse (hanging), li (grinding), etc., and the Xunxue system agrees with it. The Xunxue tradition believes that human nature is complex, including materiality, emotion, desire, intellectuality, righteousness, etc. For such a complex human nature, Xunzi advocates multiple means such as transformation, habit, accumulation, and pseudo-rectification. In dealing with people's "dangerous and unhealthy, rebellious but not cured" sentimentality and lust, Xunzi advocated through "mannerism", "disturbance" and other means, "and then out of resignation, in accordance with the literary reason, and returned to governance." (Xunzi Sexual Evil) But for "righteousness" or "human discernment", Xunzi advocates the accumulation of long, "People have qi, life, knowledge, and righteousness, so they are the most noble in the world." (Xunzi Wangzhi) "However, the reason why a person is a man is not specially two-legged and hairless, but also discerned by his discernment." ...... Husbands and beasts have fathers and sons but no father and son, and there is no difference between men and women, so humanity cannot be discerned. (Xunzi Feixiang) "Accumulate goodness into virtue, and the gods are self-righteous, and the sacred heart is prepared." (Xunzi Persuasion) "The saints are also the ones who accumulate the people." (Xunzi Confucianism) This kind of accumulation is, of course, the righteousness of the accumulation of people. Therefore, the means of treating human nature such as the reversal of qi and the friendship of gong cannot be recognized by Si Meng, but it can be fully recognized by Xun Zi, and the means of treating sex such as Chang Zhi Yang are recognized by the Si Meng School, and they are also recognized by Xun Xue, so "Temperament" is close to the Xun Xue tradition and far from the Si Meng tradition.
Some of the language and ideas of "Temperament" were completely inherited by Xunzi. As some scholars have pointed out, "Just the tree is also the same, just take the same; the covenant of softness, the soft take", Xunzi in the "Persuasion" transformed into "strong self-taking pillar, soft self-taking bundle". In the "Four Seas, within the four seas, its nature is also one, its intentions are different, and its teaching is also", and Xun Zi transforms it into "the son of Gan, Yue, Yi, and Raccoon, born with the same voice, long and different, and teaching him to be so". In the Disposition, "the saints talk about them more than their kind, look at their obedience and disobedience, understand their righteousness and abridge them, rationalize their feelings and enter and exit, and then repeat them", Xunzi transforms them into "Therefore recites the number of consistent ones, thinks about them, treats them for others, and removes those who harm them to maintain them." In "Temperament", "all voices believe out of affection, and then their hearts are enough to enter people's hearts", "Xunzi Music Record": "The entry of his vocal music is also deep, and his transformation is also fast." Therefore, the first king is respectful of this article. ”
3. "Temperament" may be the work of the Confucian of the Zhonggong clan
Most scholars believe that the zi bow is the middle bow, and some people think that the zi bow is the sub-bow of Confucius's re-disciple, the arm bow, which is not enough to be accepted. Because Shang Qu's name does not see the Analects, even confucius's students are not important in their position in Confucius, and they are not enough to open a sect. Even if it is the Founding Sect of the Founding Sect, Shang Qu is dominated by Zheng Zhan, and its direction of governing yilu is different from Confucius's path of virtue and righteousness, and the development of the bow along this path is very different from the direction of Xunzi's "good is easy to occupy" ("Xunzi Dayu"), and Xunzi cannot be listed as a master alongside Confucius with such a figure. Zhonggong, surname Ran Mingyong, character Zhonggong, young Confucius twenty-nine years old. The reason why Xunzi admired the Zhonggong was that the zhonggong had a very high status in the Confucius Gate, and was always appreciated by Confucius, ranking among the ten philosophers of the Confucius Gate and belonging to the high foot of the Virtue Branch; second, the Zhonggong was a figure with great political talent, and Confucius praised: "Yongye, can make the south." This is exactly the kind of great Confucian atmosphere that XunZi aspired to; the third is that Zhonggong's father committed evil deeds, and Zhonggong himself behaved in a noble manner and could completely become a heavy subject of the country." The son of the ploughing ox, the horns and horns, although you want not to use, the mountains and rivers are abandoned? This is completely in line with Xunzi's idea that "although the descendants of the prince and the prince cannot belong to the liyi, they belong to the Shu people; although the descendants of the Shu people also accumulate literature and are righteous, they can belong to the Li Yi, then they belong to the Qing Xiang Shi Dafu" ("Xunzi Wangzhi"). Probably Xunzi was a generation of Confucian masters who grew up as sons of the common people. This sameness of fate gives it a more, deeper inner correspondence with the sub-bow. It is not surprising that its scholar Zhonggong is not surprising.
Until now, our understanding of Zhonggong is still in an era of great scarcity, except for the Analects, Confucius Language, and Xunzi, even if Shangbojian has a Zhonggong, it can provide us with too little material. But based on these limited sources, we can still describe some of the lines of thought of Zhonggong. As we all know, the Virtue Branch can be described as a Confucian of preaching, a student of noble virtue, rich talent, and the most valued by Confucius. The other three subjects of speech, politics, and literature can be described as specialized or have a certain specialty. Having a certain specialty can be called "instrument", and Confucius called Zigong "female, instrument also". (Analects of Gongyechang) But virtue is not an "instrument", it can be said that "erudition is not famous", not for a certain specialty, but for a generalist figure. As a preaching Confucian, he has his own unique views on sex and the heavenly path, and "Temperament" is most likely the achievement of Zhonggong or his later studies in this regard.
Zhonggong asked Ren. Zi Yue: "When you go out, you will see the guests, and the people will be like a great sacrifice." Do not do to others what you do not want. No complaints in the state, no complaints at home. Zhonggong said, "Although Yong is not sensitive, please do something." (Analects of Yan Yuan)
Zhonggong said, "Isn't it okay to be respectful and simple, to be close to his people?" Simplicity to be simple, nothing is too simple? Zi Yue: "Yong Zhi Ran." (Analects of Yongye)
Or: Yongye, benevolent and not Tuo. Zi Yue: "Yan Yong Yu?" The royal people give with their mouths, repeatedly hate people, do not know their benevolence, and use them? (The Analects of Gongyechang)
In the poor as a guest, so that its subjects are like borrowing, do not move anger, do not record old grievances, is Ran Yong's trip also. ("Confucius's Sayings: DiscipleShip")
"When you go out, you will see the guest, and if you go out, you will make the people like a great sacrifice", and the whole body is "respect". Respect means solemnly and seriously treating one's own words and deeds, life, and attitude. "Temperament" further exerts Confucius's respect, and then points out how to achieve respect and complete respect. "A gentleman is beautiful in his affection, noble in his righteousness, good in his manners, good in his appearance, happy in his way, pleasing to his teachings, and respectful." Beauty, noble righteousness, good manners, good looks, happy ways, and joyful teachings are the ways or methods by which moral individuals achieve respect. The state of devotion is "going out as if you were seeing a great guest, and making the people like a great sacrifice." "A gentleman's perseverance must have a broad heart, and his words must be the same as his husband's letter." The gifts of the guests must have the appearance of the husband, and the ceremony of sacrifice must have the respect of the husband. (Temperament) This language seems to be spoken only by Zhonggong or his students. Reverence is a kind of cultivation, a kind of realm, and Zhonggong reaches this realm, making him "as poor as a guest, and making his subjects like a borrower." "Being poor as a guest" means that no matter how poor your material life is, you can still be as solemn as when you are a guest, and do not let poverty tire its heart. "Isn't it true that the dweller is humble and simple, and that he is close to his people?" Simplicity to be simple, nothing is too simple? These few sentences can be described as "Temperament", "Although it is not evil." Not with affection, although difficult and not expensive" is another expression. The emotion mentioned here is not the usual feeling of joy and sorrow, but respect, which is a kind of true feeling. Respect is a kind of truth, Jane is insufficient. The inner attitude is solemn and serious, and although there are shortcomings in the treatment of the people, they are also acceptable, which can be described as "although it is not evil." On the contrary, there is no solemn and serious attitude in the heart, and the external behavior is simple and rough, like Zi Sang Bozi is not dressed, which is "difficult but not expensive".
In the view of the author of "Temperament", "Righteousness, respect for the party also; respect, the festival of things; tu, benevolent side also." "This can be said to be a bow by respect and benevolence. Some people called Zhonggong "benevolent but not Tuo", and Confucius personally came out to defend Zhonggong's "non-Yomi". Ren is a very high moral cultivation, the realm of life, Yu is a clever word, not Yu (Du Ren) means that Zhonggong does not have so many clever words and sticks to benevolence. "Temperament" has a saying: "Those who are clever and sharp words of man, and those who do not have the heart of husband and wife will flow." "That is to say, if a person has clever words and sharp words, but does not bend his heart, without the cultivation of benevolence, he will fall into the customs." "No" can be described as the caution of words, "prudence, benevolence of the party also." ("Temperament") This is the footnote of Zhonggong's "benevolence but not Yon".
Some people argue that the "Temperament" section should be called "Sex", and I think it may be more appropriate to call it "Temperament". Because "Sexual Pretentiousness" is mainly a philosophical explanation centered on emotion and sex, rather than emphasizing "sexual pretense". The authors or academic attributions of this document mainly include sub-lobbying, Gongsun Nizi theory, Zisi theory, etc., of which the Zisi theory has the greatest influence. However, through the above arguments, we believe that zi si theory is the least likely. Because from the description of the nature of sex in this article, the sex it speaks of is not the nature of morality, but the nature of natural qi, or it is closer to the material nature of Xunxue, that is, the nature of the original material; from the perspective of its belief that sex is movable, intersectable, reversible, can be cultivated, can be long, etc., it is completely in line with xunxue's means of counter-treatment, transformation and accumulation, so we think that the academic attribution of this literature may belong to the Xunxue system. Since Xunzi himself believed that his academic tradition was in accordance with Confucius and Zhonggong, the Confucianism of the Zhonggong clan was most likely the author of the document. The Confucianism of the Zhonggong clan may have been a very active school in the Warring States period, and Xunzi was an outstanding representative of this school in the late Warring States period.