THE ZHOU XUN 周訓 AND “ELEVATING THE WORTHY” (SHANG XIAN 尚賢)

Abstract

Abstract The present paper aims to investigate the idea of “elevating the worthy” (shang xian 尚賢) as it appears in the newly found manuscript Zhou xun 周訓. This manuscript is part of the Peking University collection (Beijing daxue cang Xi-Han zhushu 北京大學藏西漢竹書), presumably copied in the first half of the first century b.c.e. In sharp contrast to most recently discovered manuscripts promulgating “elevating the worthy,” the Zhou xun introduces the meritocratic principle to support hereditary power transfer, by positing that the right to rule should be passed on to the most able son of a ruler. I argue that this position served several purposes. First, it provided a solution to the central problem of abdication discourse, namely, the conflict between the principles of “respecting worthies” (zun xian 尊賢) and “loving kin” (ai qin 愛親). Second, this interpretation of “elevating the worthy” entailed a significant extension of the number of potential contenders to the throne, challenging the system of primogeniture, the very cornerstone of political order in early China. This fundamental challenge appears to be deliberate and can be interpreted as an attempt to formulate a new paradigm for the ruling house of Zhou. The complete absence of the idea of Heaven's Mandate (tian ming 天命) from the Zhou xun certainly underscores its radical departure from Zhou conventional claims to power. However, I argue that, given the close association between the Zhou xun and the Lüshi chunqiu 呂氏春秋, it is also plausible that the former's theory was created to justify the Zhou's overthrow by the Qin 秦. In any case, the Zhou xun provides us with new insights into how the idea of “elevating the worthy” was applied to politics in early China. 提要 本文旨在探討新出《周訓》中的「尚賢」思想。這部出土文獻屬於《北京大學藏西漢竹書》﹐其抄寫年代大概在公元前一世紀的前半葉。《周訓》與其他提倡「尚賢」的新出土文獻形成了鮮明的對比，因為前者提出「尚賢」的目的是為了支持傳子之制，認為應該將統治權力交給最有能力的繼承人。本文認為《周訓》的立場達到以下幾個目的﹕首先，它解決了禪讓說中的核心問題，即「尊賢」與「愛親」之間的衝突﹔其次， 這種對「尚賢」的解釋擴大了王位候選人的範圍，挑戰了長子繼承制這種中國自古以來政治秩序的基石。這個根本性挑戰的目的﹐或許是要為周王室制定一個新的統治範式。《周訓》完全沒有提到「天命」的觀念，也說明了它已經遠離周朝對權力的固有理解。然而，鑑於《周訓》與《呂氏春秋》之間的密切關係，我們也可以說《周訓》的寫作目的是要證明秦滅周的合法性。無論如何，《周訓》給我們提供了有關「尚賢」的原則如何應用於政治的新知識。