Xun Kuang 荀況, also called Xun Qing 荀卿, is the third great Confucian of the pre-Han era (Warring States period 戰國時代). He died in 238 BC and wandered around, like all his contemporarian philosophers, to persuade statesman to a better style of policy. In Master Xun's writings, Confucian thought is collected in a very systematical style, and the author does not look back to the ideal times of old, like Confucius himself and Mengzi 孟子, but instead tries to concretize propositions to a rule with moral and ritus. We see here clearly the influence of legist thinking that was far more concrete for daily policy than the ideals of the early Confucians. Unlike Mengzi, Xunzi assumes that the true nature of man is evil, and every good side of man is only achieved by his own efforts in learning, cultivating and practising the Confucian moral norms and rules. Social discipline is only obtained by ritual norms (li 禮), that are orders of the traditionally proper, hierarchically arranged behaviour. Division of labour and arrangement in social steps are essential, objective and rational instruments of social order that are able to ensure social security. Worldly order is only a part of a natural, universal order (li 理) that especially is laid upon the ruler who has to take upon him the task to be moral paradigma for everybody. The social position that everybody occupies is a theoretical equalization, because everybody is confined in his own position, but a real unequality of high and low classes of people. A very important task in this ritual net of Xunzi was the rectification of names (zhengming 正名), an undertaking that is essential to ensure social stability. Otherwise, people the the sophist Yang Zhu (see last paragraph) would cause trouble and chaos.	Chapters of the Xunzi 1.勸學篇 Quanxue 2.脩身篇 Youshen 3.不苟篇 Bugou 4.榮辱篇 Rongru 5.非相篇 Feixiang 6.非十二子篇 Fei shierzi 7.仲尼篇 Zhong Ni 8.儒效篇 Ruxiao 9.王制篇 Wangzhi 10.富國篇 Fuguo 11.王霸篇 Wangba 12.君道篇 Jundao 13.臣道篇 Chendao 14.致士篇 Zhishi 15.議兵篇 Yibing 16.彊國篇 Qiangguo 17.天論篇 Tianlun 18.正論篇 Zhenglun 19.禮論篇 Lilun 20.樂論篇 Yuelun 21.解蔽篇 Jiebi 22.正名篇 Zhengming 23.性惡篇 Xing'e 24.君子篇 Junzi 25.成相篇 Chengxiang 26.賦篇 Fu 27.大略篇 Dalüe 28.宥坐篇 Youzuo 29.子道篇 Zidao 30.法行篇 Faxing 31.哀公篇 Aigong 32.堯問篇 Yao wen
	Exemplarious translation: ２２．正名 後王之成名：刑名從商，爵名從周，文名從禮，散名之加於萬物者，則從諸夏之成俗曲期，遠方異俗之鄉，則因之而為通。 Rectifying names This is the way the true kings of later times fixed the names of things. In the case of legal terms, they followed the practices of the Shang dynasty; in case of terms pertaining to ranks and titles, they followed Zhou practice; and for the names of ceremonies and ceremonial objects, they followed ritual practice. For the common names applied to all the various things of creation, they followed the established customs of China, and made certain that such names could be used in distant regions whose customs are different, so that a common means of communication could be established... 今聖王沒，名守慢，奇辭起，名實亂，是非之形不明，則雖守法之吏，誦數之儒，亦皆亂也。若有王者起，必將有循於舊名，有作於新名。然則所為有名，與所緣以同異，與制名之樞要，不可不察也。 Nowadays, however, the sages and true kings have all passed away. Men are careless in abiding by established names, strange words come into use, names and realities become confused, and the distinction between right and wrong has become unclear. Even the officials who guard the laws or the scholars who recite the Classics have all become confused. If a true king were to appear now, he would surely set about reviving the old names, and creating new ones as they were needed. To do so, he would have to examine carefully to see why names are needed, how to go about distinguishing between things that are the same and those that are different, and what essential standards should be used in regulating names. 異形離心交喻，異物名實玄紐，貴賤不明，同異不別；如是，則志必有不喻之患，而事必有困廢之禍。此所為有名也。 If there are no fixed names, men begin to discriminate the different forms of things on the basis of their own particular observations, each applying his own names and interpreting the different phenomena in his own fashion, then the relationships between names and realities will become obscured and entangled, the distinction between eminent and humble will become unclear, and men will no longer discriminate properly between things that are the same and those that are different. In such a case there will be a real danger that the ruler's intentions will not be properly communicated and understood, and his undertakings will undoubtedly be plagued with difficulty and failure... This is the reason why correct names are needed. 名無固宜，約之以命，約定俗成謂之宜，異於約則謂之不宜。名無固實。名有固善，徑易而不拂，謂之善名。 Names have an intrinsic appropriateness. One agrees to use a certain name and issues an order to that effect, and if the agreement is abided by and becomes a matter of custom, then the name may be said to be appropriate, but if people do not abide by the agreement, then the name ceases to be appropriate. Names have no intrinsic reality... There are, however, names which are intrinsically good. Names which are clear, simple, and not at odds with the thing they designate may be said to be good names... About Yang Zhu and the sophists 「(白)馬非馬也，」此惑於用名以亂實者也。驗之名約，以其所受，悖其所辭，則能禁之矣。故明君不與辨也。 "A white horse is not a horse". Men who make statements like these are deluded in their use of words and bring confusion to realities. If one examines them in the light of the agreed usage of names, accepts those which fit in with agreed usage, and rejects those that depart from it, he can put and stop to such statements... The enlightened ruler does... not argue with men who make such statements. Translated by Burton Watson.