The Conception Of "Heaven,Earth And Human" And The Construction Of Rite ——Focus On "Discourse On Ritual Prinsiples" Of Xunzi

The realities of the middle and late Warring States and the theoretical tensions within Confucianism prompted Xunzi to construct a theoretical system that met the requirements of the times.Xunzi constructs a theory of rituals that integrates normative and establishment ideas in response to the propositions of the times.If the Western Zhou ritual system is rooted in the idea of the mandate of Heaven,Xunzi,which is in the process of a spiritual breakthrough from "above the three generations" to "below the three generations",takes the three dimensions of Heaven,Earth,and Human as the foundation of its ritual system.After all,in Xunzi’s time,the differentiation and reintegration of Heaven,Earth,and Human had become a new thought and discourse landscape different from the three generations of civilization.In the Chinese philosophy of the Zhou and Qin dynasties,"Heaven,""Earth,"and"Human"were three complete philosophical concepts,but when the three were held together,they were also called"the Three Powers"（三才之道）.Although the term"the Three Powers"was first introduced in the Yizhuan,the beginning of the concept of"Heaven,Earth,and Human",especially the reference to the construction of rituals based on it,needs to be traced back.In the Zuozhuan,the concept of"Heaven,Earth,and Human"has already been used to explain"Rites",such as in“the 25th year of the reign of Duke Zhaogong”,where Zichan’s concept is recorded as follows:"Rites are the scriptures of Heaven,the righteousness of the Earth,and the conduct of the people.".However,this is only in the form of scattered insightful ideas,but lacks systematic elaboration and argument.Xunzi and“the Evolutions of Rites”are two different texts that elaborate on this,and considering Xunzi’s status as a self-summarizer in pre-Qin philosophy,his exposition of the order of Rites and the foundations of"Heaven,Earth,and Human"is certainly worthy of attention.Xunzi emphasizes the interaction between"Heaven"and"Human",but also frequently places"Human"in a triadic relation with"Heaven"and Earth.This undoubtedly shows a tendency of Xunzi’s concept of"Heaven,Earth,and Human".In fact,the construction of Xunzi’s theory of ritual is inseparable from the concept of"Heaven,Earth,and Human,"and further research is needed in this area.The construction of the concept of "Heaven,Earth,and Human" and the re-invention and complication of the connotation of "Rites" go hand in hand,and the urgent need to solve real problems makes Xunzi highlight the importance of "Rites" more than Confucius and Mencius."However,in order to emphasize the importance and necessity of Rites,Xunzi deepens the connotation of Rites from the outside to the inside,from the phenomenon to the essence,and from Human to Heaven.This gives the connotation of Rites a more three-dimensional connotation.Previous studies on the relationship between Heaven and Human in Xunzi have mostly focused on the debate between "the separation of Heaven and Human" and "the unity of Heaven and Human," in fact ignoring the construction of Xunzi’s concept of "Heaven,Earth,and Human.Therefore,it is necessary to re-examine it.In Xunzi’s text,"Heaven" is not only the sum of natural phenomena,but also has the ontological meaning of the basis behind all natural phenomena,i.e.,the concept of "Heaven" as the basis of "life".In Xunzi,the concept of "Heaven" as the essence of "life" actually has a more complex connotation.The "Earth" inherently has characteristics corresponding to those of the Heaven,and after the Heaven has taken the lead in having virtuous qualities that can be emulated by Human,"Earth" also has virtuous qualities accordingly.In contrast,"Human" is always the focus of Xunzi’s attention,and "Heaven" and "Earth In contrast,"Human" has always been the focus of Xunzi,and "Heaven" and "Earth" are always addressed to "Human",who can not only participate in "Heaven" and "Earth",but also be involved with "Heaven" and "Earth".Not only can Human participate in "Heaven"and "Earth" and stand side by side with "Heaven" and "Earth" as an independent pole,but he can also communicate with "Heaven" and "Earth".The foundation of Rites lies in the three poles of "Heaven," "Earth," and "Human" and their interconnection.