A Deep Study of Xunzi's 'Jie Pi' Chapter: On the Cognitive Foundations of the Mind—Emptiness, Unity, and Tranquility
This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the core proposition in Xunzi's 'Jie Pi' concerning the nature of cognition: 'How does man know$41 By the mind. How does the mind know$42 By being empty, unified, and tranquil.' It systematically interprets the dialectical relationship and philosophical implications of 'emptiness' (xu), 'unity' (yi), and 'tranquility' (jing) in cognition, tracing their ancient intellectual origins to reveal the systematicity and sophistication of Pre-Qin cognitive theory.
Section 4: Historical Cognition: "Comparing and correlating governance and disorder, one comprehends their standards."
"Comparing and correlating governance and disorder, one comprehends their standards (tong qi du 通其度)."
By referencing and examining the experiences of order and disorder in history, one grasps the standards (du) of governance.
"Comparing and correlating" (can ji 参稽)—referencing and examining. "Governance and disorder" (zhi luan 治乱)—periods of order and chaos. "Comprehending their standards" (tong qi du)—understanding the principles therein.
This is the requirement Master Xunzi places on historical cognition: not merely memorizing historical facts, but extracting normative understanding (the Du) from history.
Why "comparing and correlating" rather than just "observing"$21 Because a single historical event may be coincidental; only by comparing and synthesizing multiple events can one eliminate accidental factors and find truly regular principles.
This method was widely applied in pre-Qin thought. Zhou Yi, Appendix B states:
"Did the rise of the Yi occur in the Middle Antiquity$22 Did its creators have concerns$23"
The rise of the Zhou Yi probably occurred in the Middle Antiquity$24 Did its creators have a sense of anxiety$25 —This method of understanding a text by examining its historical context is a specific form of "comparing and correlating."