《荀子·天论》和儒家的科学蒙昧主义

《荀子.天论》是战国晚期儒学思想家荀卿的一篇杰出的唯物主义哲学论著。尖锐批判了当时流行于社会上的源于巫术观念的“天人感应”说,指出自然界变化与人类的社会行为无涉,并力主利用自然、征服自然。但《天论》的核心理念却是认为自然规律不可知也不必知,提出了“唯圣人为不求知天”的蒙昧主义观点。这一点在哲学史上从来没人指出,以致这一有害的结论一直影响到今天。

"Xunzi Tianlun" and Confucian scientific obscurantism

"Xunzi Tianlun" is an outstanding paper of materialist philosophy by Xunqing,a confucian thinker in the late warring states period.The paper sharply criticizes the idea of "none is inducted" originating from witchcraft prevalent in the society,pointing out changes in nature had nothing to do with human social behaviors and advocating using nature and conquering nature.However,the core ideas in "Tianlun" is that the natural laws can not be known and can not necessarily known,pointing out the idea of scientific obscurantism:only sages don't desire to know nature,which has never been pointed out in the history of philosophy and the influence of the harmful conclusion has lasted until now.