天人之間的帝王－《莊子》和《荀子》的「道德」觀念探析

本文的目的在於探討《荀子》如何引進戰國中後期之道家思想。藉由分析《莊子》和《荀子》之「德」和「道德」的用例，試圖論證《莊子》「道德」概念是為了成為在「天人」、「神人」、「至人」之次的「聖人」境界之方式，「聖人」實為一般人唯一實際上能夠達成的境界；而《荀子》接受人類的究竟目標乃成為「具備此『道德』的『聖人』」之境界的想法，但與《莊子》將此「聖人」視為「以天為宗」的「人」相比，《荀子》「道德」論中的「聖人」是為了人類社會的福利去效勞的。不但如此，《荀子》還進一步提出為了達成此境界之具體方法－「禮」和「禮義」。緣此，《莊子》「道德」觀念在《荀子》建立「禮義」學說的過程中發揮了重要的概念角色。

關鍵字

莊子；荀子；德；道德；禮；禮義

並列摘要

This article aims to demonstrate a possible philosophical connection between the pre-Qin texts the ”Zhuangzi莊子” and the ”Xunzi荀子” by analyzing the use of the compound term daode (道德 the Way and the Creative Power/Virtue) and de德 in the two texts. This article argues that the concept of daode in the ”Zhuangzi” is central to the way to become ”the Sagely man 聖人,” who is below ”the Heavenly man 天人,” ”the Miraculous man 神人” and ”the Perfect man 至人” in the hierarchy of those who have attained the Way, and is the only practically attainable goal for ordinary human beings; whereas the ”Xunzi” accepts the idea that the goal of each human being is to become the Sagely man possessing daode. However, they differ in that in the ”Zhuangzi”, the Sagely man regards Heaven as his model, whereas in the ”Xunzi” the Sagely man works for the welfare of society. Moreover, the ”Xunzi” suggests a concrete way to achieve this goal is through the practice of li 禮 (rituals and social norms) and liyi 禮義 (propriety, righteousness and justice). Thus the concept of daode in the ”Zhuangzi”, which functions as a way for man to attain the realm of Heaven, played an important conceptual role in establishing the doctrine of liyi in the ”Xunzi”.