Abstract: Xunzi philosophy actually contains a universal form that still has universal significance and affinity in the Chinese cultural atmosphere; the development of the entire history of Xunxue philosophy is actually a process of gradually touching, presenting, and enriching this universal form. From this understanding, we can get a new perspective and perspective on Xu Gan's philosophy. Xu Gan's "Treatise on the Middle", like the "Book of Rites" and the "Zhongyong", is a continuation and praise of Xunzi's philosophical view that "the middle is the etiquette, and the middle is the Tao". The so-called "middle/etiquette/tao" in the whole book is the manifestation of the rightness of people and things, or the moderation behind that performance, rather than a metaphysical entity of the so-called pure spirit. Unlike Xunzi and Han Confucianism, Xu Gan has begun to grasp human nature in a positive sense, advocating that the beauty of human nature is not complete but can be purified to the point of being as beautiful as nature. Xu Gan's views that "the great saints learn from the gods" and "the sages learn from each other" show that there is a continuous side between heaven and man, as well as a side of development and ascension. In the practice of the "Middle Way", Xu Gan does not talk about the work of "restoration", but emphasizes the importance of speech, speculation and power and wisdom, emphasizes the work of "respecting and becoming a courtesy" and "accumulation", and initially presents the idea of "accumulating goodness and becoming virtuous". These views all show Xu Gan's creative interpretation and advancement of Xunzi's philosophy. It can be said that in the history of Xunxue philosophy, Xu Gan was an important successor after Dong Zhongshu and Yang Xiong in the Han Dynasty and before Pei Ju in the Western Jin Dynasty; and the continuity and consistency of Xunzi, Zhongyong, Zhongguo, and Wang Tong's Zhongshu of the Sui Dynasty were an important academic "event" in the history of confucianism in the early period.
Keywords: Xu Gan; Zhongguo; Xunzi; Xunxue; Zhongyong
About author:Liu Youming (1955-), male, chiayi, Taiwan, professor of Chinese literature at National Chengchi University, Taiwan.
Published in Journal of Handan University, No. 1, 2013.
In literary history, Xu Gan, one of the "Seven Sons of Jian'an", was a great chief. 171-218; Han Ling Emperor Jianning 4 years - Han Xian Emperor Jian'an 23 years), wrote a treatise on thought, "The Middle Theory". From the titles of the various passages in the book, such as "Zhixue" (like the "Persuasion of Xunzi", placed in the first part), "Guijian", "Guiyan", "Yiji", "Zhixing", "Chancellor of Judgment", "Reward and Punishment", etc., as well as from its discussion of "learning" and "Zhong", it can be roughly inferred that it is Xun xue yilu (more on this). And this, of course, determines its fate on the fringes of Confucianism since the Song and Ming dynasties. If someone has expectations for Song Mingru's association with "Zhongyong" or because of the relationship between Song Dynasty Zeng Gong's "Introduction to the Middle Theory" and his comment that "he can test the six arts and push the will of Nie Mengke", then he will probably be disappointed after turning over the inner text.
A small number of scholars who appreciated Xun Xue praised Xu Gan and his Treatise on the Middle. Qing Confucian Tan Xian said in his "Diary of Fu Tang": "Reading the "Treatise on the Middle", the great and great Confucians of the late Han Dynasty have created Zhengda, small words and great righteousness, zhao ruofa, and the string of qunjing, when they are in harmony with Kang Cheng. He also said: "Reading the "Treatise on the Middle", then the good gold and beautiful jade can be followed by Dong Zi's "Fanlu". He also said: "With etiquette as the teaching, Xun Qing's will is neutralized, and The Zhiye of Xu Gan is also the basis (suspected as "taking the etiquette as the teaching, Xun Qing's will is □; neutralization is the basis, Xu Ganzhi is also)...". Xu Renfu, the present-day man, also said in his "Reading the Treatise on Zha Qi": "The learning of the two Han Confucians is mostly based on (Xun) Qing. Unfortunately, they are short but not long, and their names are obscured by their texts... Ask him to be the author of the clear (press: Doubt is regarded as "clearly written". "Writing" means "zhao", which is a repetition of "mingming"). In the name of Mei Qing, the former Han only Dong Zhongshu, and the later Han Xu Weichang. Zhongshu Meiqing's book has not been passed on, and Du Weichang's "Middle Theory" still exists... Xunzi's exploits were not under Mencius either. Great chief... His work is not under Xunzi...". [1] 326-327 They regarded Xu Gan as another great Confucian after Mencius, Xunzi, and Dong Zhongshu.
This article should also positively commend and interpret the philosophical model of Xu Gan's "Middle Theory" from the standpoint of Xun Xue, and specifically explain its Xun Xue character. What is different from the previous interpretation of the Treatise is that I will proceed on the premise of my understanding of The History of Xunzi Philosophy and the History of Xunxue Philosophy. To put it simply, under the superficial meaning of the words of "Xunzi", we can actually touch the "universal form" of Xunzi philosophy, which is a philosophical model of "the unity of heaven and man", "the theory of weak goodness", and "the accumulation of goodness". Specifically, when Fu Weixun adopts what Fu Weixun calls the "hermeneutics of creation", we can moderately loosen and translate the linguistic context and meaning of Xunzi, and compare it more effectively with Mencius's thought in a more open and common context. Then we will find that Xunzi philosophy and Mencius philosophy are not strongly opposites, but they actually share the basic position of the unity of heaven and man and the goodness of nature, but the degree of advocacy is weak and strong. It is also important that when the universal form of Xunzi philosophy is revealed, Xunzi philosophy becomes more acceptable and universal in the entire Confucian tradition. In fact, the whole history of Confucian philosophy, after deducting the relatively clear and certain tradition of Mengxue (i.e., the study of Confucius and Mencius), the rest of it can also be interpreted as a step-by-step manifestation of this universal form, and a history of Philosophy of Xunxue (i.e., Kong Xunzhixue) that develops (consciously or unconsciously) around this universal form. [2] 25-36 At the end, I will use this rational path as a reference to analyze and present the Xunxue character of Xu Gan's philosophy.
First, the Word is humanity, and the Word is the Middle
Xu Gan said, about two floors of heaven and man. As for the Heavenly Dao, there are "Heavenly Dao", "Heavenly Constant", "Natural Way", "Fate", "Number of Days", "Heavenly Time", "Gods" and other related names. Xu Gan said:
The heavenly path is broad, the darkness is difficult to understand, the saint takes a rough idea of the law, and he can not lose any mistakes! (Xu Xianglin' Commentary on the Middle Theory: 217, "Death")
The emperor did not do it, and there was no time when he did not praise the heavens, so did he who was involved in the affairs of the people. Therefore, Confucius made "Spring and Autumn", and the book personnel was also formed by the time of heaven and the two things of the Ming Dynasty. (203, Almanac)
If evil is not abolished, good is not prosperous, and so is the way of nature. (55-56, The Void)
There is a way to ask for it, and there is a destiny to get it. (150, "Sir")
Therefore, Tai Hao looked at the heavens and the earth and painted gossip, and the flint people observed the seasons and drilled fire... The learning of the Great Sage is like a god and a thing. (13, "Governance")
These passages roughly present Xunzi's natural Heavenly Taoist view of "heavenly behavior is constant, not for Yao survival, not for death". That is to say, the so-called "Heavenly Dao" and "Natural Tao" are not a pure spiritual metaphysical entity, but only the continuous operation of heaven and earth, and the most holistic and general changes in ordinary human affairs. There are regular and regular paths, as well as occasional, irregular exceptions. To be clarified, the so-called "nature" here is not what the Taoists call "nature," but it is not what today's general natural science calls "nature." The so-called "nature" of Xunzi and Xu Gan is continuous with personnel affairs and is the ultimate basis for the various manifestations of personnel affairs. Although it is not a pure spiritual metaphysical entity with full of value, it still contains a simple value connotation. It is precisely based on this simple value connotation that its further growth and development gradually constitute a magnificent and fulfilling living world for human beings. That is to say, the heavens and nature of Xunzi and Xugan are not pure material and value-neutral things, but are still a simple and primitive root of the various value constructions in the world in which human beings live.
Xu Gan also occasionally expressed the thinking of heaven and man sensing each other, such as "Xiwu WangBang... If the king does not reach, the Zhou Gong is afraid, and the heavens are thunder and lightning, in order to show the virtue of the Zhou Gong..." (129, Zhi xing), but this should only be an accidental manifestation of the general beliefs of the general thinking at that time, and there was no further significance.
As for the "Tao" in the Treatise on the Middle Passage, which does not add the word "heaven", it mainly refers to the way of man, which refers to the appropriate way that man has refined and cultivated from the common way, the constant track, and the law in it after he has examined the personnel affairs of heaven and earth, and is suitable for people to follow and practice in this society. Looking at the whole book, in Xu Gan's view, the specific connotation of such a person's way should be "medium" at the most basic and most general. Xu Gan said:
...... Therefore, "Yi" said: "Gong Qifu, the words are orderly." "Not to lose the meaning of the matter is also (suspected as "not out of order, the middle of the word is also"). (82, "Noble Words")
...... Therefore, the courtesy and honesty, the love of art also; neutralization and integrity, the truth of art also... Those who are familiar with the love of the group art can argue with the Tao... The Taoist, the karma of a gentleman also. (102, The Art Chronicle)
...... However, the words of argument must be agreed upon, not bothered, and the manners should be prescribed, and the etiquette should not be violated... Gentleman's argument also wants to be in the middle of the Avenue of Light also... Therefore, the gentleman is in the Tao, and he is still in himself. If I get one of them, then my heart is pleased, so why choose the other? If I lose it, then my heart is not happy, why should I take it? (108-112, Nuclear Defense)
The absence of Jonny, hundreds of years now... Three generations of teachings, the avenue is late, and the humanity is uncertain... (152, "Examination of Falsification")
The founding of the ancient kingdom also had four people. To carry out the deeds to repair the territory, to follow the law of the Holy King, to govern the righteousness, to call the people... (179, "Confession")
Rewards and punishments cannot be neglected, nor can they be counted... Not heavy, not light... Therefore, the former king ming forgave it, and thought of it with peace, without losing his moderation. Therefore, the "Book" says: "Recklessness is not in the middle, and the words are poor." (292, Reward and Punishment)
Judging from the above articles, Xu Gan's so-called "middle" is a kind of moderate and appropriate performance that people and things often have or may have, or the moderation behind that performance. The so-called various "Taos" are called "Taos" precisely because they express or conform to various "humanities." The so-called "avenue" actually means "the avenue itself is the middle". The special appearance of the term "in the middle of etiquette" should be because "etiquette" is the most instructive and practical reference example of all kinds of "Middle Way". In short, all the appropriate ways of doing things and administering politics must be the middle way. The middle way of various forms is the beautiful way that a gentleman can follow in cultivating himself and governing others and practicing ideals. This is the core idea of Xu Gan's "Treatise on the Middle", the main axis of discussion, and the purpose of its naming.
Such a middle way is consistent with the ideas of Xun Zi and the "middle" of the "Middle". First of all, Xun Zi said, "The way of the first king, the long of benevolence, is better than the middle." In the middle of the word? A: Etiquette is also. Taoists... The reason why people are also tao, and the way of gentlemen is also... What is said to be a traitor in the middle of a deed is a traitorous deed, and it is said that the middle is a treacherous deed. This passage briefly shows that in Xunzi philosophy, "zhong" is the connotation of etiquette, and liyi is the specific example and realization of liyi, and the two concepts of "zhong" and "li" are related to each other. Then, according to my recent interpretation, "Zhongyong" was originally also the character of Xun Xue. The first chapter of "Zhongyong" expresses that "Zhong" has nothing to do with joy and sorrow, but is the appropriate moderation and principle in human affairs; "He" is the state of middle because of mastering "Zhong" and then being in the middle of joy and sorrow; and "Zhong" and "He" are both the results of a gentleman's "prudence and independence" (the so-called "neutralization" precisely shows that "Zhong" and "He" are both states attained through cultivation). In fact, the middle way in the whole "Middle Way" is a similar way. [3] 81-82 In short, the "Zhong" of Xunzi and "Zhongyong" is connected with Xu Gan's "Zhong".
Once this background is clear, we will not be surprised by Xu Gan's words at the bottom:
He who is polite is also anxious, and he who is anxious may live a lifetime, but he shall not be separated from him. If you must depart, you will walk slowly; if you must forget, you will be slow; if you are rude, you can always start! (29, "The Fa-Elephant")
Here it is clearly borrowed from the words "The Tao of the Middle Way" ("The Tao is also not to be detached from the way", and the "Tao (that is, the Way of the Mean)" in it is replaced by "Ritual". This partly shows that Xu Gan consciously entered the context of "Zhongyong" to discuss, and also more or less proves that from Xunzi and Zhongyong to Xu Gan, the Tao is Zhong, and Zhong is Li, that is, the appropriate measure, or a specific manifestation that conforms to that measure.
It can be said that Xu Gan experienced the Middle Way thought of "Xunzi" and "Zhongyong", took this understanding as the core, ran through the whole book, and wrote "Middle Theory". In the history of Confucianism, as the first "Zhong" after the "Zhongyong" to be named from "Zhong", its significance is of great significance. Because Song Mingru changed the mengxue approach to interpret "Zhongyong", the continuity and consistency between "Zhongyong" and "Zhongyong" was cut off, so the development clues from "Xunzi" to "Zhongyong" to "Zhongyong" (and Wang Tong's "Zhongshu" of the Tang Dynasty) were missing.
Second, human nature has advantages and disadvantages that can be purified
Xu Gan's basic views on the theory of human nature are found in the following four paragraphs:
Between heaven and earth, those who are born with anger, those who do not know people... (304, Yiwen)
Where human nature is simple, there is also subtleness; where human nature is neglected, there is loneliness. (23, "The Fa-Elephant")
Fu Zhu's gravel, Jin's flaws, Si Qi's sex! Good work for it to purify its nature, Ruofu plain. Therefore, the two things are pure, and the knowledge of benevolence can be pure. The superior take more, the inferior take less, just in people, why forbid me! (43, Shuben)
Although a person has beauty, he is not a gentleman without practicing the Tao. Therefore, scholars seek to learn the Tao. If there is a picture seems to be drawn. The color of Xuan Huang is both written, and the body of pure Hao is dead; we are not yu, who knows its sustenance? (6, "Governance")
Born steamed, its sex is also one. Carved muscles are lost, and the same is evil; the same is good as the weedy algae. These two always exist and the people do not rule, and their bodies have a reason for it... It is because the saints do not dare to abolish the punishment by the grace of their relatives, and do not dare to leave a reward with the wrath of the wrath of the wrath. Will be saved also. (290, Reward and Punishment)
Judging from the "born with qi" in the first article, Xu Gan roughly inherited the traditions of Xunzi and Han Confucianism, and discussed sex with qi. Although there is no more material, it should be fine to measure the entire intellectual history background. Judging from the last four, the connotation of human nature is good (pearl, jin) and inferior (containing gravel, flawed), there are beauty and simplicity, and generally love beautiful things and dislike labor. Such a human nature, despite its beauty, must be cultivated on the right path, through teaching, teaching, and even with the help of rewards and punishments, in order to become pure and beautiful as if it were born. Here is xunzi's idea of sex and sexual hypocrisy. However, it is worth noting that Xu Gan no longer distinguishes between sex and hypocrisy, no longer highlights sexual evil, and no longer mentions what is sexually fake. The so-called "good work for its pure nature, if the husband is plain", although it is about the cultivation of pearls and jade, it indirectly shows that the results of the acquired cultivation actually have the meaning of the theory of human nature. More importantly, although human nature has advantages and disadvantages and good and evil, Xu Gan seems to be more inclined to grasp human nature from the good and beautiful side (the so-called "pearl contains gravel, Jin's flaws", which is based on the good and beautiful side). On the whole, he has left Xunzi's discourse of "sexual evil", and even left Han Confucian's discourse of "human nature is mixed with good and evil" and "human nature has good and evil", and has taken a step forward towards a positive and good discourse on human nature. More rigorously, he had taken a step towards the doctrine of the inferiority of goodness implicit in Xunzi's philosophy.
The "knowledge" of the first quotation above, "Those who are born with anger, do not know people", involve another dimension of human nature: "value cognition". This point xugan has further explained elsewhere:
No one is wise or foolish, but when he sees good, he is praised, and when he sees evil, he is slandered. This human feeling may not have private love, nor may there be private hatred. (66, "The Void Road")
The human heart will have clarity, and it will have enlightenment. (13, "Governance")
...... Therefore, the scholar so the total group of Tao also. The way of the crowd is unified in the heart, and the group's words are one's own mouth, but only for its own use. (10, "Governance")
The first shows that everyone has a universal perception of good and evil, which is a basic and simple value intuition in human nature. The second and third principles also show that people can further exercise their wisdom and enlightenment based on this simple value intuition and thus always take the group path. Such a "total group of paths" is by no means just a purely intellectual, objective cognition. It should be said that whether it is what Xunzi calls "the heart," the work of the Tao is Zaiya. Or Xu Gan's so-called "group tao unified heart", all of which are based on the cognition, choice, and trustworthiness of the heart's value.
In the Qing Dynasty, Dai Zhen took "flesh and blood and heart knowledge" (in essence, blood and heart qi) as the "entity of sex", and used desire, emotion, and knowledge as the "nature of flesh and blood knowledge" (that is, the use of human nature). This is a later version of Xunxue's theory of natural human nature based on the yuan qi of nature. It can be seen that Xu Gan's theory of human nature is developing towards Dai Zhen's model.
Incidentally, the sentence "The People's Hearts Are Unreasonable" in the "Treatise on the Middle Theory" and "Revised Texts" is the result of the Tang Dynasty's avoidance of changing words, and the original text should be "The people's hearts are not without governance"; this should be no problem. However, according to Shuzo Ikeda, Li Wenwen believes that the word "reason" is actually correct, and believes that the most characteristic point of Xu Gan's theory of the mind is "reason in the heart". [4] If this interpretation of 137-138 means that Zhu Zixue has the meaning of "having a reasonable mind", it is not in line with Xu Gan's thought.
III. The Sage's "Learning from the Gods" and "Learning from The Truth"
The first article of the "Treatise on the Middle" is "Zhixue", which says: "The gentleman of the past became virtuous and established, and his name was immortal, so why is it?" Learn also. Learners, so sparse Gods, pleasant and rational, saints above the service also. "If people don't learn, they can't have virtue." If you have Yi Virtue, you can go through human morality...", "If you don't practice the Tao, you are not a gentleman." "Scholars, therefore, the total number of ways", and, "All scholars, righteousness comes first, the name of the object comes later, and the name of the object follows...". Taken together, people must learn, and the goal of learning is to purify the mind, open up the mind, adjust the emotions, practice morality, and guide people to morality.
It is no accident that both the Xunzi and the Treatise on the Middle Passage discuss "learning" at the beginning of the volume. Importantly, they all present the path of learning, knowing, and attaching equal importance to both ends of the path and enlightenment, which shows that they (or all xunxue) are the complete learning of the inner saint and the outer king, and are by no means oligarchic and rootless studies.
As far as the whole "study" is concerned, Xu Gan has a point worth mentioning, he said:
If you think alone, you will not be able to understand, and if you think alone, you will be sleepy and not comfortable. The human heart will have clarity, and there will be enlightenment... Therefore, Tai Hao looked at the heavens and the earth and painted gossip, the flint people observed the seasons and drilled the fire, the Emperor Xuan heard the phoenix and tuned the rhythm, Cangjie wrote books according to the bird tracks, and the learning of si Dasheng was like a god and a thing. The sages cannot learn from the far but from the near, so they take the saints as their teachers... Non-meritocracy learns from saints, and saints also learn from each other: Confucius is because of Wenwu, Wenwu is because of Chengtang, Chengtang is because of Xiahou, and Xiahou is because of Yao Shun. Therefore, the Book of the Six Books of the Sacred Cause is also. (13, "Governance")
The heavenly path is broad, the darkness is difficult to understand, the saint takes a rough idea of the law, and he can not lose any mistakes! (217, "Death")
In the first article, Xu Gan believes that the "Great Sage" has realized by examining the heavens and the earth with the clarity of his mind, so he has a variety of human cultural creations, which is "learning from the gods". Then, because this creation of the early saints can only be a simple and simple production, it will take generations of saints to gradually accumulate deep and subtle; the so-called "Six Classics" are actually classics accumulated by "group saints". In the second rule, Xu Gan emphasized that the Heavenly Dao only has a rough and normal track, and is roundabout and grand, and it is difficult to understand, so the sage's method of taking the Heavenly Dao is only a rough one, and it is impossible to fit one by one. Taken together, first, in the view of the Great Sage "learning from the gods", Xu Gan traced the occurrence of humanistic production to the wordless manifestation of the gods of heaven and earth, which partially and slightly answered the questions of the present people about the "how the first saint should make rituals" in Xunzi philosophy, and also appropriately expressed the view that the first heaven and man in Xunxue were divided and continued. Second, in the viewpoint of the sages of the past generations of "phase theory", Xu Gan reasonably explained the historical process of human beings from grass to civilization, and reasonably explained the background factors for the effectiveness of the sage production, which highlighted the strong historical character and group consciousness in Xunxue, and indirectly echoed and confirmed the view of Xunzi's "Queen of the Law". All of the above is a constructive supplement and development of Xu Gan's Xunzi thought.
Fourth, the emphasis on speech, argument and wisdom
This section begins with the above discussion of the so-called doctrine of learning, knowing this end, which is the so-called epistemology.
The "Middle Theory" and "Noble Words" emphasize that a gentleman should talk to people about the truth, and his words should be appropriate, and he should consider the other party's mind, instrument, and reaction, and skillfully sort out and guide him according to the other party's temperament. The "Nuclear Debate" points out that the emphasis of the gentleman's debate is on "distinguishing things from each other and treating them clearly", and the goal is "in the bright road". In short, Xu Gan advocated that in order to understand the reasoning and explain the road, it is necessary to think about and argue and weigh the specific situation of people and things.
Importantly, such weighing does not have a predetermined answer. The Noble Word also points out that every legitimate, superficially natural belief must be considered in concrete practice, and even shelved if necessary. He gave examples such as Cangwu Bing's letting his wife yu brother, Ozai drowning because of his trustworthiness, and his son identifying his father as stealing sheep, showing that "it is difficult to follow the path, and it is not easy to be wrong (according to: referring to abandonment). Xu Gan mentions a similar view in other chapters of the Treatise on the Middle. For example, he said, "Fu Ren, Li, Yong, the Beauty of the Tao also." However, if it is not done rightly, it is inevitable that it will be a great evil. Therefore, the gentleman is to the Tao, judge what he observes, and be cautious of what he does. (164, "Examination of Falsity") That is to say, no matter how beautiful the Tao is, if the context is not in line and the measure is not right, it may become a great evil in practice, so it must be carefully measured at the time of the event.
Based on this deliberation and trade-off, Xu Gan particularly emphasized the importance of "wisdom". He said in "Zhixing" that if you want to choose between "Mingzhe Poor Reason" and "Zhixing Pure Du", then "Mingzhe Poor Reason" or "Wisdom" is more important than "Zhixing Pure Du". But this is not to say that "doing" is not important, but to say that wisdom is precisely directed at action; it is precisely because of wisdom that it is possible to properly weigh and understand events and accomplish deeds. Therefore, Xu Gan said: "The reach of the saints is not empty, and the wisdom is also." Fu Xi made gossip, King Wen increased his words, si ji was poor and the gods were informed, and it was only good to do good! He also said, "The special abilities of the saints and noble intellects are of great benefit to the world." (119, 126, Chi Heng)
In other chapters, Xu Gan also said: "The king's takeover of the world also has a big foundation - there is also the meaning of benevolence and wisdom." Benevolence is cherished by all nations, and wisdom is returned to heroes. (263, "Caution from obedience") also said: "The great sage ... Its alien is that the mind is unified by the group of reason and not miao, the wisdom is around all things but not, the change is violent and not confused, and the truth and falsehood are gathered without confusion. (244, The Chancellor of Trial). The former sentence mentions benevolence and wisdom at the same time; the latter sentence mentions a single wisdom, which shows his importance to "wisdom"; the latter sentence also shows that such wisdom is about to directly weigh and immediately perform at the scene of each hot baking event.
The above propositions are related to the Xunxue character of Xu Gan's concepts of "Tao" and "Zhong". As mentioned earlier, Xu Gan's "Tao" and "Zhong" are not pure spiritual metaphysical entities, but only an appropriate measure of human things, or the expression of that proper measure; their specific connotations are not absolutely unchanged, but will change with the context of events. It may be said that they are equivalent to the "reason" of the Confucian natural qi ontology in the Ming and Qing dynasties, which is called "reason in qi", "reason in things", and "reason in desire". [5] 153-178 In short, Xu Gan's "Tao" and "Zhong" are not innate, fixed and ready-made things in the original mind and nature, and cannot be obtained by "restoration", "conscience" and other cultivation work that seeks within, but must be grasped by thinking and weighing in terms of the context and situation of specific people and things, and such speculation and trade-offs must be refined and clear, and the premise of such speculation is a "wisdom". In addition, since such speculation and trade-offs are inseparable from words, speech and argument are of course valued.
Look back at Xunzi. Xun Zi said: "Period, fate, discernment, and saying (according to: this refers to conventions, naming, arguments, and explanations) is also used in the great text, and the beginning of the king's karma is also." This is also the emphasis on speech and argument. Xun Zi also said, "If a gentleman is erudite and thinks about himself every day, he knows and acts without fault." Erudition is precisely for the need to compare and refer to when weighing in the specific context of things, and "knowing" is the ability to exercise this kind of weighing, and an important basis for continuing to weigh and weigh. From here, we can see that Xu Gan's thoughts are connected with Xunzi.
Finally, there are three points to add:
First, in the Zhixing, in order to illustrate the importance of "wisdom", Xu Gan quotes Confucius and Mencius: Zhongni yue: "It can be established with the right, but it cannot be with the right." Meng Ke said: "Zi Mo is in charge, and there is no right in holding on, and he is still clinging to one." "Zhongni and Meng Ke can be said to be the ones who have reached the truth of power and wisdom."
But we cannot say from this that Xu Gan's "Quan Zhi" thought came from Mengxue (that is, the study of Kong Mengzhi). Judging from the rationale of Mencius's thought and Mencius's criticism of Zi Mo's "no power in clinging", Mencius's "right" is "holding on to the middle and power", which is based on an innate inherent "Tao/Sex/Middle" and "right"[3]77; and Xu Gan's "quanzhi", like Xunzi, is the "right" of repeated debate and weighing in the context of things and then obtaining its "middle". It is only because there is no distinct "quan" similar discourse in "Xunzi" that Xu Gan will quote Confucius and Mencius, but in fact, on the road of reason, it is different from Mengxue.
Second, although we value argument and wisdom, this does not mean that reason can be obtained by merely relying on speculative operations. Xu Gan said:
Therefore, the gentleman is in the Tao, and he is in himself; if he is in it, then my heart is pleased, so why choose him? If I lose it, then my heart is not happy, why should I take it? Therefore, when it is discussed, it is stopped when it encounters people; it is still not stopped when it is encountered with people, and it is not enough to argue with words, and it is also a villain. (112, "Nuclear Defense")
It can be seen that when weighing and deliberating on the reason, whether or not it has been "in it" must be confirmed by "my heart is pleased". That is to say, in this process, it is still people's value cognition and value intuition that make key trade-offs.
Third, Xun Xue's approach to grasping the "Tao" and "Reason" by thinking and weighing in terms of specific situations, as well as the special emphasis on "wisdom", is not "ignorant of the Taoist body", "ignorant of the Great Book", "ignorant of benevolence", "intentional arrangement", "differences in Confucianism", and so on. Similar criticisms come mainly from Mengxue and are the result of asserting entirely on Mengxue.
Fifth, pay homage to the work of making gifts and "accumulating"
This section deals with the so-called end of the path, the enlightenment, which is the part of the theory of work. Xu Gan's basic views on the theory of kung fu are "respect, courtesy and necessity" and "respect to become a courtesy":
The Book says: "Be cautious from the beginning to respect (the end), and never be sleepy." "He who is polite, and who is anxious, can be done for life, but must not be separated from him." If you must be detached, you will be slow to walk, and if you must forget, you will be slow in your heart, and if you are rude, you can always start! Those who pay homage to the scriptures also, and those who respect the sutras, those who respect also, the affection of the courtesy also. No respect can be done, no manners can be respected. The Tao is not biased, but must be followed. It is therefore those who can be honored with honor, called adults. (29, "The Fa-Elephant")
Where human nature is simple, there is also subtleness; where human nature is neglected, there is loneliness. The one who is humble, the one who is hara, the lonely, the one who sees the end. Hu Kejian also! Hu Ke Kuo also! It is the old gentleman who respects loneliness and caution, although it is hidden, the ghosts and gods cannot see its gaps. "Poetry" Yun: "Sue the rabbit, apply to The Middle Forest." "Alone is also said. (23, "The Fa-Elephant")
Both sources have the shadow of the first chapter of "The Mean". The first one is related to the "Middle Way": "The Tao is also not to be separated from ... It is therefore the gentleman who is wary of what he does not gamble, and who is afraid of what he does not hear. One sentence is related, and the second is related to the following "Zhongyong" "Mo sees hidden, mo appears to be subtle, so the gentleman is cautious and independent." One sentence about. The first deliberately replaces the "Tao" of "Zhongyong" with "etiquette", while the second emphasizes that human nature itself has a simple and sluggish side, which more obviously presents the character of Xun Xue than "Zhongyong". Looking further, the first one puts forward the concept of respect; the second one, "respect for loneliness and prudence and subtlety" and "handling alone", are obviously taken from the "cautious independence" of "Zhongyong", and a "respect" word is added; it can be seen that Xu Gan's "respect" and "cautious independence" here are related to each other. Importantly, in the first article, Xu Gan mentioned "respect" and "etiquette", which gave "respect/prudence" a most basic specific connotation. A single "respect" is inevitably empty, and adding a "salute" and then "respect" has a basic dependence. Therefore, the so-called respect is to respect the courtesy, that is, to be inseparable from the courtesy. Reverence is the inner affection of the ceremony, and the salute is the expression framework of respect, the expression paradigm of expression content. Respect is the basic spirit of etiquette, and etiquette regulates and implements respect. In short, the two aspects of respect and etiquette "must go hand in hand" and must not be "abandoned". The so-called "those who can be respectful to become a courtesy are called adults" in the text, which means that there is respect in the heart, focusing on words and deeds, so that words and deeds are all in line with etiquette, and if they can do so, they can be called adults.
Pre-Qin Confucians had already put forward the concept of "respect" and had already said respect for etiquette. But like Xu Gan, it seems that they have not yet been seen by mentioning both respect and etiquette, and discussing them interactively and systematically. Today, in the context of the theory of gongfu, when it comes to "respect", we usually think of the views of Ercheng "respecting righteousness", Cheng Yi's "cultivation must be respected", and Zhu Zi's main respect and cultivation. What is generally not expected is that as early as the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Xu Gan had already so clearly commended the work of "respect", and also paid tribute to it and mentioned it both, reaching a considerable theoretical height (of course, the specific context and connotation were not the same).
In addition to "respecting and becoming a courtesy", Xu Gan also emphasized a "accumulation" of work, which can be seen as a supplementary principle of his theory of work. The work of "accumulation" is first of all "accumulation of small to large" (46, "Revision"), which Xu Gan called "cautious and widowed". He believes that starting from a small place little by little can "not be followed, not to be expropriated, to be made at four o'clock, and to believe without saying." Virtue is worthy of heaven and earth, merit is four hours, and fame is like the sun and the moon. (47, "Xiu ben") It should be because of his deep confidence in this, Xu Gan added a sentence: "The Tao is also simple and easy to hear." It is worth mentioning that here, from "accumulating small to large" actually talks about the point of "virtue with heaven and earth", there is obviously "Zhongyong" "So sincerity is endless, and if it is not endless, it will be long... Bo hou matching the land, clever matching the heavens..." The impact is in.
The work of "accumulation" is also manifested in the "accumulation of the element", that is, to continue to practice in the plain, to be "longer than the way" (69, "Gui Test" I will not say more about this.
Xun Zi said in the Confucian Effect: "Those who are sexual, what I cannot do, but can be transformed into also; those who accumulate also, not all I own, but can also be." Note the wrong custom, so the sex also; and one and not two, so the product also. Customs transfer, anjiu transfer quality. And one without two, then through the gods, in the heavens and the earth. Therefore, the soil is a mountain, and the water is a sea... A saint who accumulates goodness and is fully called... A gentleman who is righteous and righteous... The old man knows that he is careful to note mistakes, cautious customs, and great accumulation, then he is a gentleman. It can be seen from this passage that due to the limited understanding of human nature, Xunzi's cultivation work attaches special importance to "accumulation", and this "accumulation" can also be specifically combined with "ritual righteousness" and said to be "accumulation of ritual righteousness"; according to this, we can say that Xu Gan's "dedication to the ritual" and "accumulation" are exactly xun xue's work.
As mentioned earlier, Xu Gan no longer emphasizes the distinction between sex and hypocrisy, nor does he emphasize the view of "sexual falsification". Here we can further point out that Xu Gan once used metaphors to talk about the problem of human nature, saying that the craftsman repaired flaws so that the pearl jade could "purify its nature, Ruofu Suran" (43, "Xiu Ben"), and said that after the white canvas was colored, "We are not yu, who knows its sustenance?" (6, "Zhixue"), which indirectly or to some extent expresses the view of "habit and sexual formation" in the Ming and Qing dynasties, that is, the view of "accumulating goodness into sexuality" hidden in Xunzi's philosophy.
epilogue
The outlines of Xu Gan's philosophical paradigm are roughly as described above; more elaborate images, as well as other aspects of the view (such as political views), can be further explored on this basis. The conclusion of this article is that Xu Gan's philosophy, even if it refers to and absorbs Mengxue in some places or to a certain extent, his entire philosophical model is clearly the character of Xunxue, not the "purpose of pushing the Zhongni Mengke" as called by Zeng Gong's "Preface to the Middle Treatise", nor is it what Xu Xianglin[6]77 calls "in the two-way movement of contradictions and complementarities between Mencius and Xunzi." In addition, the "Treatise on the Middle" obviously continues or responds to the "Zhongyong" in several places, and its entire ideological character is Xun Xue, which also confirms that the "Zhongyong" in Xu Gan's eyes is originally Xun Xue, and the "Zhongyong" in Song Mingru's eyes are two different things.
It can be said that Xu Gan's philosophy has inherited, innovated and advanced Xunzi philosophy; it is an important relay in the history of Xunxue philosophy, after Dong Zhongshu and Yang Xiong in the Han Dynasty, before Pei Ju in the Western Jin Dynasty; and the continuity and consistency of "Xunzi", "Zhongyong", and "Zhongguo" (you can also add Wang Tong's "Zhongshu" of the Sui Dynasty) is an important academic "event" in the history of early Confucianism.
Bibliography:
Xu Xianglin. Annotations on the Middle Theory[M]. Chengdu:Bashu Book Society,2000.]
LIU Youming. The Reconstruction of Confucian Philosophy: The Approach of Contemporary Neo-Xunxue[J]. Journal of Handan University,2012,22(1).
LIU Youming. The Idea of Moderation: An Interpretation of xunxue's approach[J]. Journal of Sinology, 2012(3).
Li Wenwen. Research on Xu Gan Thought[M]. Taipei:Wenjin Publishing House,1992.]
LIU Youming. A Philosophical Model of The Confucian Natural Qi Ontology in the Ming and Qing Dynasties[J]. Chinese Confucianism,2011,6.]
Xu Xianglin. "Gentleman's Argument, Wanting to Be in the Middle of the Ming Avenue"--On Xu Gan's "Wisdom And Action" Middle Theory[J]. Journal of Southwest University for Nationalities: Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition,2000,21(7).
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