Xunzi's 'Jiebi' (Dispelling Obscuration): On the Wholeness of the Dao, Cognitive Limitation, and the Blessing of Unobscured Vision
This article offers an in-depth reading of the 'Jiebi' chapter of the Xunzi, exploring the cognitive roots of the 'calamity of obscuration' among the pre-Qin thinkers. Through an analysis of 'the Dao embodies constancy and encompasses all change,' it reveals the predicament of human cognition clinging to 'a single corner,' and elucidates the transcendent value of Confucius's 'benevolence and wisdom, unobscured,' with the aim of understanding how to overcome cognitive bias.
Chapter Twelve: "Emptiness, Unity, and Stillness" — The Methodology of Dispelling Obscuration
"How does the mind come to know$35 Through emptiness, unity, and stillness. The mind has never been without stored content, yet there is something called emptiness. The mind has never been without fullness, yet there is something called unity. The mind has never been without movement, yet there is something called stillness."
"Emptiness" — not allowing the known to obscure the unknown. Not clearing all knowledge but leaving space for new cognition. As the Most High (Laozi) said: "Thirty spokes share one hub; it is the emptiness at the center that makes the cart useful" (Laozi, Chapter 11).
"Unity" — focused concentration when cognizing each domain, but not an exclusionary fixation. True "unity" is: full commitment when cognizing each domain, then releasing it and turning to the next, achieving depth and breadth together.
"Stillness" — excluding emotional interference from cognition. The Daxue describes the progression: "knowing where to rest" leads to "settling," then "stillness," then "peace," then "deliberation," then "attainment."
The three must be precisely balanced — "emptiness" not to the point of knowing nothing, "unity" not to the point of fixation, "stillness" not to the point of withdrawal. This precise balance is the "Mean" (zhong) — the psychological state of "unobscured vision."