Xunzi's 'Jie Bi' (Unveiling Concealment): On the Wholeness of the Dao, Cognitive Limitation, and the Fortune of Being Unobstructed
This paper offers an in-depth interpretation of the 'Jie Bi' chapter in Xunzi, investigating the epistemological origins of the 'calamity of obstruction' described by the Pre-Qin philosophers. By analyzing the concept that 'the Dao is constant in its entirety yet utterly transformative,' the essay reveals the dilemma of human cognition being fixated on 'a single corner' and elucidates the transcendental value of Confucius's 'benevolence and wisdom unhindered,' aiming to understand how to escape cognitive bias.
Section 4: Can Different Obstructions Correct Each Other$30
An interesting question arises: Can the "Bi" of different schools correct each other$31 For instance, Master Mozi was "obstructed by Utility, unaware of Culture." If he could converse with someone "obstructed by Culture, unaware of Utility" (assuming such a person existed), could their biases compensate for each other$32
Theoretically, the answer is yes. If people with different biases could humbly learn from each other, each drawing upon the strengths of the other to compensate for their own weaknesses, they could all, to some extent, "dissolve obstruction."
However, in practice, this process is fraught with difficulty. Because a core feature of "Bi" is "believing it sufficient and adorning it"—the obstructed person does not believe they are obstructed, but rather believes they are correct and others are wrong. Under this mindset, they will not humbly learn from their opponents but will try to persuade or defeat them.
This is why "Xu Yi Er Jing" is so crucial. Only by first achieving "Emptiness" (Xu) in one’s own mind—admitting that one’s cognition might be incomplete—can one begin to learn from others. If the mind is not "Empty," even when faced with the most valuable dissenting opinions, one will dismiss them as errors and reject them.
Master Confucius’s greatness lies precisely in the extreme "Emptiness" of his mind. He said: "When three people walk together, one of them must be my teacher. I choose the good qualities in them and follow them, and the bad qualities and correct them in myself." (Analects, Shu Er) Anyone—regardless of their intellectual stance—could become his teacher. He did not reject others because their stance differed from his, but "chose the good qualities and followed them"—absorbing the strengths of others. This magnanimity that embraces all is the foundation of being "unobscured."