순자의 이상사회론 - 욕망의 충족을 중심으로 -

Abstract

Securing one’s basic desires and stabilizing society, those are attributes to the ideal society in Xunzi’s mind. For it is unavoidable to neglect basic desires, they need to be satisfied somehow in a socialized way. Besides the basic, all kinds of desires would be socially achieved with the division of labors in correspondence with social rank and principles of propriety. But material goods won’t catch up with overextending desires for a good reason. There, Xunzi proposed Li(禮, Propriety) as something to fix such disproportionate situation. Following that, he explains the function of Li(禮, Propriety) with differentiation. Xunzi conceives differentiation is an inevitable factor of society. When its standard is justified, society reaches reconciliation of one’s desires and social stabilization, where plus followings are satisfied: differentiating human affairs from natural phenomena, allocating suitable roles to each of social ranks, and providing different kinds of satisfaction for different kinds of social ranks. As shown above, the origin of Li(禮, Propriety) would be found in providing satisfaction of desires. And as a matter of process, followings will lead to ideal society: cultivating Ren Yi(仁義, Benevolence and Righteousness) and Li(禮, Propriety) as an outer and inner control respectively, and putting the ancient kings’ regulative principles on base of ruling. Here, the laws formulated by the ancient kings guide rulers to fulfill the ordered and equal society which members perform their appointed roles sincerely. This is the way to secure mutual trust between individuals and make harmonious society after all.