Desire,Potential Substance,and the Sacred King:A Three-Dimensional Picture of Xunzi's Theory on the Origin of Ritual and Law
The theory of the origin of the rites and laws is an important foundation on which Xunzi built his system of rites and laws.In arguing for the origin of the rites and laws,Xunzi departed from Meng Zi's view of the origin of form,which was based on the inner na-ture of the mind,and opened up a path of objectification of the origin of the rites and laws,with the three-dimensional images of de-sires,potential substance,and the sacred king as the three-dimensional images.These three elements do not imply that ritual and law have three distinct substantive origins;rather,they reveal three core nodes in the dynamic process of their origin:desire,as an inher-ent attribute of human beings,inevitably creates tension and conflict with the objective existence of power with material resources.The sacred king,with extraordinary wisdom,perceives the dilemma between desire and these forces,and thus establishes rituals and laws to mediate and maintain a balanced and harmonious relationship between humans and nature.Desire,power with material resources,and the sacred king are all indispensable and interrelated,reflecting multiple core Confucian categories such as self and things,internal and external,as well as heaven and humanity.This is Xunzi's significant theoretical breakthrough in reconstructing Confucianism to address practical realities.Xunzi's approach to institutional construction not only highlights the objective aspects of traditional Confu-cian thought but also provides valuable insights for the theoretical interpretation of modern Chinese institution construction.
desirepower and material resourcesholy kingrites and laworigin
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