On Hsun Tsu's Idea About Heaven And Human

As a philosopher who summarized the dispute of philosophy of Xian Qin (先秦) , Hsun Tsu (Xunzi, 荀子) made a systematic development on the debate concerning the relationship between heaven (tian, 天)and human (ren, 人) which was regarded as the core theme at that time. Among Hsun Tsu's idea about heaven and human, it's a fundamental standpoint to admit that 'activities of heaven' (tianzhi, 天职) produce things with a constant regularity of its own and 'effects of heaven' (tiangong, 天功) move and vary according to its own law, on the other hand, in order to receive reasonable and positive achievements, man must abide by such original Way of heaven (tiandao, 天道). By refuting the existence of 'Heaven' in the direction of consciousness, he makes it necessary to make a clear distinction between heaven and human, but this cognitive objective should be realized in the process of the dynamical unity of heaven and human. 'Adapting the law of heaven and making use of it' (zhitianming 'eryongzhi, 制天命而用之) means that under the general attitude of 'not demanding to know heaven unreasonably' (buqiuzhitian, 不求知天), man brings his subjective activity into play to 'know heaven' (zhitian, 知天), and then proceed to achieve 'the unity of heaven and human' (tianrenheyi, 天人合一) on the level of interaction and harmony. 'Effects of heaven' and 'actions of human' (renzhi, 人治) are the two essential parts of 'The unity of heaven and human', and neither part can be ignored nor be overstepped by the other one, so 'understanding the distinction between heaven and human' (mingyutianrenzhifen, 明于天人之分) becomes the assurance of the harmony between the two. But the distinction between heaven and human isn't absolute, 'knowing heaven' and 'respecting oneself (jingji, 敬 己) are the two different sides which contained in the same process of man's action, in other words, 'the distinction' (fen, 分) between heaven and human contains the tendency of 'the unity' (he, 合) of them. As a theoretical system, Hsun Tsu's idea about heaven and human is deeply...