孟荀的人性論的差異與比較,歷來已有諸多研究成果但仍莫衷一是,或許可以從過往倫理學與本體論的視域,轉向從生物學的理論與方法作為啟發與對比,去重新理解孟荀人性論的關鍵核心。性善與性惡的比較,在豐沛的研究成果後,重點應不再是兩者的異同與褒貶,而是並立兩種「不同地」詮釋,從當代思維模式去檢視與解釋兩者為何不同。首先必須釐清的便是荀學與孟學是不同的典範(paradigm),不能以漢語哲學場域中的孟學主流意識型態去思索孟荀的差異──荀子的人性論不能同孟子一般由「道德人」(moral man)的判準去理解,否則便無法真正回到荀子的脈絡中去推演。荀子的人性論是從生物性的存有來討論的。關於這點,荀子中所謂「人之所以為人者,非特以二足而無毛也,以其有辨也」就十分關鍵;他將人先拉到與「狌狌」的動物性水平,並在此根基上,進一步去推演與思考,人如何從與「狌狌」一樣的水平中開展出具有文化性意義的「人」。而這不僅僅關係著荀子的人性論建構,更與其修養論與政治論密切相關。因此,討論荀子「人論」,實有必要將「狌狌」作為探討的核心與起點,透過進化論與經濟學作為參照,去嘗試釐清與還原荀子對於「人」的認識、理解與建構。
The difference and comparison of Mencius and Xunzi's theory of human nature has always had many research results, but it is still inconsistent. Perhaps it may be possible to turn from the perspective of ethics and ontology to the theory and method of biology as an inspiration and comparison, and we could re-understand Mencius and Xunzi's theory of human nature. The comparison of doctrine of human nature is good and doctrine of human nature is evil, should no longer to focus on the similarities and differences between the two theories in the future, but should ask and explain why they are different in the contemporary thinking model. The first thing that must be clarified is that school of Xunzi and school of Mencius are different paradigms. We can't use the mainstream ideology of Mencius doctrine in the field of Chinese philosophy to be the standard, and say Xunzi's doctrine is wrong. We couldn't understanding the doctrine of human nature of Xunzi via the paradigm of "moral man" from Doctrine of Mencius. Because Xunzi's theory of human nature is discussed from the perspective of biological existence. Just as Xunzi says, "The different from human being and orangutan not because legs and hairless, but distinguished they by the distinguishing." Xunzi thinks man and orangutan is the same in biology, what the different from them should distinguishing by the culture and knowing. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss Xunzi's theory of human being via orangutan, and we could understand and reconstruct Xunzi's theory of human being.