徐幹の人間観

Abstract

Hsü-kan (徐幹, A. D. 171-218) asserts that human-mind owns "litao" (理道, the ability of self-command) by nature. This assertion, which is similar to the statement of Sung-Ming li-hsüeh (宋明理学, new Confucianism in the Sung and Ming dynasties) , makes him seem standing on the hsing-shan-shuo (性善説, the proposition that human nature is good). And he expectedly declares that all human beings can and must become the chüntzu (君子, the man of both learning and morality ; a sage) by self-cultivation, especially by studying Confucian classics. But it is wrong to judge Hsü-kan's view of human nature to be the hsing-shan-shuo such as that of Mencius, for he affirms existance of shang-chih (上智, the man who is a saint from birth) and hsia-yü (下愚, the stupid person who has no capability of self-improvement). Generally speaking, affirmation of shang-chih and hsia-yü inevitably leads to the hsing-san-p'in-shuo (性三品説, the proposition as follows : there are three classes on human natures, the higher class is hsingshan, the lower is hsing-ê 〔性悪, human nature is evil〕, the middle class, to which most people belong, is mixed with the goodness and the badness. To get virtue or vice is determined by acquiring or not). And the hsing-san-p'in-shuo was the main idea in the Han dynasty. Therefore it is well that we should consider him to be also based on the hsing-san-p'in-shuo. His emphasis upon the necessity of self-cultivation is suitable to the hsing-san-p'in-shuo. Nevertheless , on the other hand, he insists that the faculty and capacity of each individual person is different, therefore everyone can not become the chüntzu. This assertion contradicts the hsing-san-p'in-shuo, because it essentially denies the possibility of chung-jên (中人, middle-class-people) to become the chüntzu. But Hsü-kan does not deny whole reason for being of chung-jên at all. He finds it in various talents of chung-jên. He thinks that talents and intelligence are more important and useful than morality against traditional doctrine. Thus he could get rid of the shackles of Confucianism, and made a step forward to the liberalism in the Wei-Chin (魏晋) period.