The Study On Xunzi's Political Philosophy In The View Of Communitarianism

Communitarianism is a criticism ideological trend directed against liberalism in western political philosophy since the 1980s.The differences between communitarianism and liberalism mainly center on the following three aspects.First,if the right has priority over the good?Second,if the self has priority over its purpose?Third,is state neutrality feasible?In these three questions, the first is the core of the dispute.The question of "state neutrality" derived from it."The relation of the self and its purpose" is the cornerstone that support the dispute which lies in communitarianism and liberalism.Liberalism started from individual.It put forward "self has priority over its purpose" to lay a foundation for "right take precedence over goodness".In order to guarantee the priority of right,state must be neutral and enforce right politics.Proceeding from community,Communitarianism claims that community has priority over individul,denies the self has preference to its purpose,and then questions the right politics of liberalism,such as "weak country", "small government"of"state neutrality",brings forward opinions of public politics,such as "good has priority over right","strong country" and "big government".Although communitarianism launched fierce criticism to basic preference and politics assertion of liberalism,this kind of criticism is only internal debate in liberal pedigree,rather than external opposition.Communitarianism and liberalism share the basic values of the democratic society,respect the individual rights,emphasize democratic legal system,and safeguard value pluralism.The criticism to liberalism is not to replace it,but to rectify deviation and supply malpractice.Its essence is to make liberalism develop better.In the Globalization Era,the rise of communitarianism attracted the attention of scholars from home and abroad inevitably.Especially what communitarianism lays emphasis on the community,public politics,positive freedom,state intervention,which make Confucianism researcher at home and abroad notices the affinity between communitarianism and Confucianism,emphasizes Confucianism embody the spirit of communitarianism.The study about Confucianism and Communitarianism was launched mainly on the integrity of Confucianism and disposition Confucianism. Compared with the integrity of Confucianism and disposition Confucianism,I think that Xunzi's political philosophy has more communitarianism doctrines.Firstly, the foundation of Xunzi's political philosophy is "regeneration self"."Regeneration self" is an entity of "Social Person"and " Moral Self".Xunzi thinks that people are in existence of "group".The maintain tie of "group" lays in "morality".It is just "morality" that make people different from birds and beasts.But people do not born with moral characters as Mencius say.Xunzi thinks that human nature is "simple", does not know rite.The forming of "rite" is a socialized process.Only via many courses,such as creation of saint,indoctrination of country,study of common people,etc,can rite be poured into in the human heart and achieve people's good quality.That is to say, Mencius and Xunzi all think that "benevolence" is the essence of people,which constitute human, is "humanity".However,Mencius thinks that "humanity" and "human nature" are unified,the moral subject is benevolence essentially,what people should do was to explore nature conscientiously and find benevolence of moral subject.But Xunzi thinks that "humanity" and "human nature" are separated.There is no moral character in "human nature",what people should do first is to solve the problem that "humanity" and "human nature" are separated,it needs the process of "change nature and start practice".After invent and educate by the sage,individual study and long-term accumulation, benevolence, justice, rite and wisdom strike root in the hearts of the people, make "nature and practice joined together",humanity and human nature unit as one, realize the efficacy of "change nature". Just like a cicada sloughing off its skin,natural human transforms the wing of moral character.Human nature obtains new live and the self can be regenerate.Then,"regeneration self" can consciously switch morality concept to morality behavior,bear the responsibility to inherit and fulfill the way of Confucian.So, with regard to inherit and fulfill the "orthodox" of "Internal Saint & External King",both Xunzi and Mencius insist that who act as main body should be moral subject.But looking from the origin of moral character,the moral subject what Mencius calles and the self of liberalism are all transcendent will subjects,"humanity" remains to be "find",find the self and the self reappear,this has the same meaning as the practice rational subject which Kant says and the self "having priority over its purpus" which Rawls says.But the moral subject that Xunzi says and the moral subject that communitarianism claims are all experiential congnitive subjects,"humanity" remains to be "invent", the self should be renew and regenerate,this has the same doctrine with communitarians,such as Sandel,Maclntyre,Tayor,Waylzer.But in the reflecting of moral character,both Xunzi and Mencius alleged that people are socialized,having"membership",individual can't be separated from his "background"or"frame",this happens to have the same view with communitarianism.With respect to moral character,although communitarianism emphasizes social public virtue, does not exclude the appeal of the individual rights.But Confucianism lacks the idea of the individual rights.As regards community nature,Communitarianism stress person's sociality,but individual is independent and autonomic.Confucianism does not lack independent personality of "obey morality & not obey monarch",but this kind of personality concerns morality, not concern right. Confucianism lack the independent individual.Secondly, the core of Xunzi's political philosophy is that "the Supremacy of Rite".The Way of rite comes from the conflict of desire and material.In order to balance the contradictions of individual interests and social interests,the ancient sage contrives"rite"."Rite" has the beginning and the end,"benevolence" are main bodys of rite and ceremony is the end of rite for use."Rite" holds its both ends to "medium" and reach "benevolence".What Xunzi says about "abide by former king" is on part of root and body," abide by future king" is in terms of end and use.Xunzi assert all of them to achieve Confucian orthodoxy.It is obvious, in balancing the relation between individual and society, Xunzi and Mencius differ greatly.Not Mencius does not speak rite, but rather his orthocenter transfers to disposition training.Not Xunzi does not talk benevolence,but his entering transfers to system construction.So, the Way of Menciushas more transcendence color, floating in the sky of imagine,while the Way of Xunzi has distinct experience style, taking root in the realistic soil.Therefore, Xunzi show his realistic style in inheriting the Confucians' ethical idealism.In view of righteousness and profit, he insists that both them are people's desires,profit subordinate to righteousness,righteousness more important than profit. In the king and despot opinions,he persists that "king parallels to despot","king prior to despot".In the rite and law opinions,he insists on "executing both rite and law","rite as body and law as use".In short,Xunzi insists that righteousness is first,but does not repel the pursuing of profit.He cries up ideal kingcraft,but does not exclude realistic despot politics.He claims that rite is main body in the rule of virtue,but make out a case for rule of law openly.In a word,on the issue of the Way,Xunzi is good at exercise "welgh",having accomplished the steadfastness of the principle and flexibility of the tactics.What he holds fast to social profit and practical realistic style has relationship with communitarianism.Thirdly, the implementation of Xunzi's political philosophy is to "rule by rite".Xunzi's governing principle is "clear assigning and manage the masses",that is to "deal with different people in rite",set up a steady and orderly society in the end.Xunzi's governing Measure is "demonstrate carefully".Rite is created by the ancient sage, but in the realistic political practice,the person who really controls assigning is the monarch who possesses the real power.As the central administrative unit,his work mainly reflects in three aspects:One,"value rites and esteem scholar-bureaucrat" to declare rite,establish the ideal faith,values and code of conduct in the whole society.Second,"advocate good and appoint able"to practise rite,to mark off the status,occupation and material wealth of people.Third,"diligent in political affairs and love the people"to safeguard rite,restraining people's behaviors through concrete rule and measurement.unify political affairs,equal subjects,judge everything,enrich the state and the people,guarantee stability and harmony of rite,final purpose is to realize "harmony and coordination".These measures that the Monarch manage the masses are called as "demonstrate carefully" by Xunzi.Xunzi's governing Ideal is "the system of holy king",including four important elements:people of the king,the system of king,the theory of king and the law of king.Xunzi thinks that the ideal country management can not go without conscious monarch,definite administrative notion,orderly organization system and effective law.From Xunzi's political philosophy practice of rule by rite",the monarch act as designer,educator,organizer and administrator,exert strong function in managing the country.It is unanimous with the communitarianism opinion of "big government" and "strong country".However,communitarianism emphasizes that the state should bear the essential duty of social regulation,but this kind of duty is realized under the democracy and legal system.Moreover,the call of communitarianism for "strong country" is in view of social problems that caused by the "weak country"rooting in neutrality politics of liberalism.But it never hopes an all-embracing and centralized state appear.All in all, proceeding from the social standard,communitarianism objects to the individual standard of liberalism,think that democratic rights are not innate, but the results of social historical development.Compared with the social profit, democratic rights do not have the absolute priority.In order to safeguard democratic rights better,the state must implement public political and strengthen the funetions.Reexamine Xunzi's political philosophy from the visual angle of communitarianism,the modernity transformation of Confucianism is not incompatible with its social standard. Starting from Xunzi's subject of cognitivet,the rights concepts can be melted in the heart through the national enlightenment,right politics can stand through the positive intervention of the country.Obviously,making a comparative study of the theory of Xunzi and communitarianism,exploring modern justice spirit of Xunzi's theory,this will benefit the development of contemporary democratic politics。...