論荀子「為學」的目的、功用與意指

On Hsün-Tzu's View of “Study”—the End, the Function, andthe Meaning of Study

對荀子來說，「為學」可以由「學之數」與「學之義」來了解，且兩者是相通的。「學之數」指為學循序所當作的事；「學之義」則指為學循序所追求的目標──成為怎樣的人？「學之數」就是幫人實現這些目標的具體方法或途徑。由「學之義」可以看出，「為學」，對荀子來說，就是在「作道德實踐的修養」；它對人的意義，最基本的就在使人活出人之所以為人而不是動物的意義來；最終則在於成就人生命的最終也是最高的理想──道德至極的「聖人」。這是「為學」對「人之生命存在」的「意義」與「功用」，由此顯現出它對人的「重要性」。依荀子，為達到「學之義」之目標，在「學之數」方面，人要作的事首先有誦讀各經典，然後是思索貫通這些經典所講的道理。這是前兩步驟，屬於「知」。接下來是：「為其人以處之」、「除其害以持養之」、及「攝知於行」或「以行著知」。前二項屬於「行」，最後一項也是，但它不是單純的「行」：乃「行」中含攝了「知」「禮之所以為禮的根據」於其中，而於「行」中「彰顯、印證」其所知。所以「知通統類者為大儒」之「知通統類」，不是只有「知」而已；而是「攝知於行」、「以行著知」。「為學」作到此程度，才是「聖人」──達到「為學的最終目的」。

The purpose of this paper is to inquiry onto the way, the function, and the meaning of Study for man in Hsün-Tzu. As to Study, Hsün-Tzu discusses it from two respects in the first chapter of his book：the way of Study and the meaning (end) of Study for man. Both are related to each other. According to the meaning of Study, it is very clear that to Study is to learn how to become a human and then a sage. Study therefore means making moral practice. There are five steps or five things (differently from Hsün-Tzu's own saying and scholar's view in general, it is not four but five, I argue) which one has to do for fulfilling the end…becoming a sage. The first two belong to the matter of knowing, the third and the forth clearly belong to the matter of practice. The final one, from the point view that it is the last step for one to become a sage, implying that it makes one a sage, is practical thing in the first sight, but if we deep into Hsün-Tzu's understanding of sage, we find that the last step, i.e. du-Li or Chih-Tung Tum-Lei, should mean: manifesting and proving one's catching the foundation of Li through practicing Li. To fulfill the ultimate end of Study, i. e. becoming a sage, one must learn up to such a degree.