荀子的「類」觀念及其通類之道

Xunzi's Concept of 'Categorization' and His Method of Realizing the 'Categorization'

荀子是戰國時期繼孟子之後的一代大儒。而荀子學說，以明辨天人之分，主張人之性惡，提倡禮義法度，重視積學而取法後王為其主要特色。不過，在荀子學說中，異於這些特色而實能貫通其名實論、倫理學說、以及人道理想的一大觀念──「類」，尤其內涵豐富義理，而應受到更多重視與探發。因此，本文嘗試透過「類」字含意的分析論述，闡釋它在哲學理論層面的主要涵蘊，同時也想藉此探察荀子所尚聖人「知通統類」的相關教學重點。經過以文義解析為主要方法的論究之後，本文初步釐清與歸納出「類」字在日常語意之外的哲學義蘊；亦即在荀子學說中，「類」字具有（1）名實論或知識論意義的「名理」、與（2）倫理學意義的「文理」，以及（3）政法學意義的「法理」等三大內涵。而荀子批判「無類」、「知不能類」的人事與言論，期求實現「知通統類」、能夠「推類」以應萬變的理想人格，就中的主體條件，乃是必須具備專壹、虛靜的「大清明」心境；至於其養成之道，則落實在積「學」、修「行」的種種「兼權」以「解蔽」的功夫之上。

Xunzi was a renowned leading scholar following in the footsteps of Mencius in the Warring States period. While Xunzi's Confucian teaching took a central focus that all people were evil, and emphasized an etiquette and morality-led doctrine that mainly featured a predominant focus on accumulating study and following later kings' teaching. Nevertheless, among Xunzi's teachings, a significant concept of his that set it apart from the aforesaid characteristics but served essentially to integrate his practical theory, moral doctrine and humanistic ideology had been the ”categorization/class”, which is containing the abundant philosophic theory, so that should be paid attention to and probing into by more scholars. In light of which, the thesis has attempted to interpret its main significance in philosophy through analyzing and interpreting the meaning of ”categorization”, and to explore methods of knowing the ”intergration of categorization統類”. Upon undergoing a theoretic study premise primarily adopting literature analysis and interpretation, the thesis has initially discerned and recapped the philosophical significance of the phrase ”categorization” other than its common usages, meaning that in Xunzi's teachings, the phrase ”categorization” has three distinct meanings of, (1) logical doctrine in the sense of knowledge acquiring theory; (2) the cultural doctrine in the sense of morality; and (3) the legal doctrine in the sense of the science of the law. And the preeminent criterion in what Xunzi's had criticized of the assertion, people and things of ignorance and inability to understand the ”intergration of categorization 統類”, or achieving an adaptable ideal character through reduction reasoning lies in how one needs to possess an undivided, humble clear mind, before one is able to perfect oneself through accumulated learning and disciplinary training.