法的制定、運作與執行依賴人的知、情、意的合作。保存在《尚書》與《荀子》中的法律智慧代表儒家法哲學的精髓，其中即包含了與法律相關的知、情、意的內涵。本文之重點在於探討「知」的方面。在《尚書》與法相關的文字中，除了「知」之外，「哲」亦是「知」。除了「知」，「明」亦《尚書》的重要概念，指涉執法者的主體意識。荀子的法哲學對《尚書》之「知」與「明」有所繼承， 並加以發揚。從《尚書》到《荀子》的儒家法哲學中，「明」與「知」作為執法者必備之德，乃是一脈相傳，並呈現為逐漸系統化的論述。執法者必須「明德慎刑」、「明德慎罰」，犯罪者亦應「知其罪」， 「明」與「知」可以說是儒家理想中之法政主體的基本德性。本文旨在探討荀子的法哲學中的主體意識「知」與「明」如何繼承《尚書》的「知」與「明」，並使其內涵更為豐富，且更為深刻。

This paper attempts to explore the connections between Xunzi’s concept of law and The Shu King, or Book of Historical Document (尚書). Legislation and law enforcement are based on the profound coorparations among human subject powers, the intellectual, emotional and volitional. This paper will focus on the intellectual dimension, especially the concepts of Zhi (知) and Ming (明). Zhi (知) and Ming (明) refer to the subjective consciousness of lawmaker and law enforcer. In the ancient China the cautious punishment was the mainstream thought of its legal thoughts. Ming (明) as the morality of law enforcer was required in inflicting a pulishment on a criminal. This deep thought of punishment can trace back to the “Ming De Shen Hua” (明德慎罰) in The Shu King, or Book of Historical Document (尚書). Xunzi inherited and developed the legal spirit of the “Ming De Shen Hua” (明德慎罰). This paper will try to investigate the influence of The Shu King, or Book of Historical Document (尚書) upon Xunzi in legal thought. On the other hand, Xunzi’s emphasis on Zhi (知) (the intellectual) is not only related to his epistemology, but to his philosophy of law as well. This dimension deserves close investigation.