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: The Status of "Wen" in Ancient Culture—From Mythology to Ritual System
To further understand why Master Mozi’s "unawareness of Wen" constitutes a serious failing, we must trace the core status of "Wen" in ancient Chinese culture.
In ancient Chinese mythology, "Wen" is always closely related to the origin and development of civilization.
Legend holds that Fuxi drew the Eight Trigrams—the earliest form of "Wen"—using simple Yin-Yang symbols to represent the operating principles of Heaven, Earth, and all things. The "Wen" of the Eight Trigrams was not useless decoration but the fundamental tool for human cognition of the cosmos. Without this symbolic "Wen," humanity could not systematically grasp the laws of nature, and thus civilization could not develop.
Legend says that when Huang Di ordered Cangjie to create characters, "Heaven rained millet, and ghosts cried in the night." Why did the ghosts cry$38 Ancient interpretations suggest that with the invention of writing, human wisdom greatly increased, and the secrets of the spirits could no longer be hidden—writing gave humanity a more powerful cognitive capacity. Yet, the power of writing rests on the foundation of "matching names to reality" (Ming Shi Xiang Fu, 名实相符)—writing has power because it accurately corresponds to the actual state of things. If writing detaches from "Reality" (Shi) and becomes a mere conceptual game, it ceases to enhance human cognition and instead becomes a tool for confusing right and wrong.
In the ancient sacrificial traditions, language (prayers, invocations) held a sacred status. Incantations must be sincere—because the objects of sacrifice were spirits, who could perceive the mind; insincere words could not move the spirits and might even invite punishment. The Analects, "Ba Yi" (八佾), records: "When making sacrifices, act as if they are present; when making offerings to spirits, act as if the spirits are present." (祭如在，祭神如神在。) This requires the speaker's words to come from sincerity, without the slightest pretense or artifice.
This ancient linguistic view—that language must be sincere and correspond to reality—stands in sharp contrast to Master Hui Shi’s linguistic practice. Master Hui Shi turned language into a game divorced from reality, which, from the ancient perspective, was a grave profanation of language's sacred function.
Master Laozi’s Chapter 81 states: "Faithful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not faithful. The good do not dispute; those who dispute are not good. The knowing are not learned; the learned do not know." (Xin yan bu mei, mei yan bu xin. Shan zhe bu bian, bian zhe bu shan. Zhi zhe bu bo, bo zhe bu zhi.) Master Laozi’s words serve as the most profound critique of Master Hui Shi’s "obstruction by rhetoric": "Those who dispute are not good"—those skilled in subtle debate are actually not skilled in recognizing the Dao. Master Hui Shi was the world's foremost debater, yet precisely because he was too immersed in debate, he lost his grasp on "Reality"—this is the epitome of "those who dispute are not good."