Time

Wed 10 Jun 2026, at 15:30

Place

Room 103, Building 4, Lee Shau Kee Humanities Hall

Speaker

LIANG Tao, Renmin University of China

Language

Chinese

Abstract

Taking “all under Heaven and the state” (tianxia guojia) as his horizon of political reflection, Xunzi developed the conception of kingship and hegemony inherited from Confucius and Mencius, advancing a threefold distinction between the “Way of the King” (wangdao), the “Way of the Hegemon” (badao), and the “Way of Power” (qiangdao).

On the one hand, Xunzi extols the “Way of the King”, maintaining that a true king must surpass all other subsidiary states in benevolence, righteousness, and authority. On the other hand, he does not reject the “Way of the Hegemon”, regarding it as an acceptable, second-best form of political order for feudal lords and rulers. Xunzi further distinguishes between negative and positive forms of the “Way of Power”. The negative form is in fact a way of ruin, which he explicitly criticizes; the positive form, however, as a political model inferior to hegemony yet still viable, remains acceptable.

In discussing kingship and hegemony, Xunzi emphasizes righteousness and ritual propriety (yi and li) without neglecting the role of power and force. Rather, he seeks to regulate power through righteousness and to realize righteousness through power. His political thought thus combines a commitment to moral ideals with a pronounced sense of political realism.

Within Xunzi’s philosophy, a persistent tension exists between the state and the broader order of tianxia (“all under Heaven”). This tension is reflected not only in his understanding of the “Way of the King”, the “Way of the Hegemon”, and the “Way of Power”, but also in the fundamental character and internal contradictions of his political thought. Only by returning to this tripartite framework can we arrive at a comprehensive and accurate understanding of Xunzi’s conception of kingship and hegemony.

      荀子以“天下国家”为视域，发展了孔孟的王霸观，提出了王道、霸道与强道的三分法。荀子一方面推崇王道，强调王者仁、义、威均需高于天下各国；另一方面也不否定霸道，认为对于诸侯、国君而言，霸道也是可以接受的次优的政治类型。荀子的强道有负面、正面之分，负面的强道实为亡道，是他所批判的，但正面的强道作为次于霸道的政治类型，也是可以接受的。荀子论王霸，既突出义或礼义，也不忽视强，而是用义去规范强，用强来实现义；既坚守道德理想，又表现出政治现实主义的特点。在荀子思想中，国家与天下之间存在着紧张、冲突。这种冲突既体现在荀子对于王道、霸道、强道的理解上，也反映了荀子政治思想的基本特质和内在矛盾。只有回到王道、霸道、强道的三分法，才能对荀子的王霸观作出全面、准确的理解。