师法之化 – Chinese philosophy and culture

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shī fǎ zhī huà 师法之化

Enlightenment Through Education

教师和法度的教化。“师法之化”是由荀子(前313?—前238)提出的。荀子认为,人天生具有对外物的欲求,这是人的本性。如果放纵人的这种本性,就会导致人与人之间的纷争,社会将陷入混乱。因此,需要通过后天的教化,在恰当安顿人的欲望的同时,确立起对道德、礼法的认同与遵守。而教化的基本方式就是通过教师的传授和法度的规范,实现对人的欲望与言行的引导。

Enlightenment through education was a notion first put forward by Xunzi (313?-238 BC). He believed that people by nature desire external things. However, If unrestrained, this natural desire will lead to conflicts between people and plunge society into chaos. Therefore, they need to be enlightened through education to both meet their desires and make them understand and observe ethics and etiquette. The basic form of enlightenment is guiding their desires, words and deeds through teaching.

引例 Citation:

◎然则从人之性,顺人之情,必出于争夺,合于犯分乱理而归于暴。故必将有师法之化,礼义之道,然后出于辞让,合于文理,而归于治。(《荀子·性恶》)

(那么放纵人的本性,顺从人的欲望,必然会发生争夺,出现违反名分扰乱秩序的行为而导致暴乱。因此必须要有教师和法度的教化以及礼义的引导,然后才会实现相互辞让,言行合乎文明秩序,从而实现社会的安定。)

If people’s natural impulses are allowed to surge without check, conflicts are certain to break. This will lead to violation of social norms and disruption of social order, resulting in social unrest. Therefore, it is necessary to have teachers and models to give guidance to people and enlighten them through teaching of etiquette and ethical principles. When this is done, courtesy and deference will develop, people will observe social order in their words and deeds, and peace and stability will prevail. (Xunzi)

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