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The book Xunzi 荀子 "Master Xun" is a philosophical book of the late Warring States period 戰國 (5th cent-221 BCE). It belongs to the Confucian books but is not rated as a classic because it contains a lot of propositions later rated as unorthodox. The author is Xun Qing 荀卿 or Xun Kuang 荀況 (sometimes also called Sun Qing 孫卿), a scholar from the state of Zhao 趙 who dwelled at the court of the kings of Qi 齊 where he was an eminent scholar at the Jixia state academy 稷下. He later went to the southern state of Chu 楚 to become a follower of Lord Chunshen 春申君. He also served King Zhaoxiang of Qin 秦昭襄王 (r. 306-251) but does not to have seen Li Si 李斯 becoming counsellor-in-chief of Qin. After the death of Lord Chunshen he spent his remaining years in Chu.
Xun Qing was basically a Confucian scholar but he adapted Confucian thought to the circumstances of his own times. Mostly different from Confucian thought is his assumption that man is by nature evil – this is quite the opposite what the Confucian scholar Mengzi 孟子 had taught who supposed, as later Confucians did, that man is good by nature. According to Xunzi it is therefore not possible that morally perfect persons are naturally born. Everybody has to work hard on oneself and had to be educated before developing into a morally good being. Xunzi likewise does not suppose that Heaven (tian 天) has a will on its own. His assumption is rather Daoist in that he believes that Heaven and nature are by themselves, and neutral, and therefore do not influence human beings. Man is able to follow the nature but he can also change and shape the nature according to his own wishes. While the traditional Confucian approach can be called idealistic, Xunzi can be called a is realist.
The natural non-goodness of man makes it necessary to shape him by education and ritual (li 禮) and etiquette. Otherwise social cooperation would not be possible. This assumption is similar to the legalists who stressed that society has to be hold together by law. But unlike the legalists Xunzi rejects force as an educational instrument: in his eyes morally integer paradigms (especially in the person of the king) are able to impress and to shape society, and to incite fellow humans to behave likewise. Benevolence and righteousness, Confucian core concepts, thus constitute an integral part also of Xunzi's teachings. The king, like a boat, is carried by the "waves" of the people, as Xunzi says.
The book Xunzi had 32 chapters which were rearranged into 20 chapters by the Tang period 唐 (618-907) scholar Yang Jing 楊倞 because the thought that the parts Dalüe 大略 to Yao wen 堯問 were compiled by later persons. Yang has also written a commentary to the Xunzi. Later scholars rated the following chapters as genuinely written by Xun Qing: Wangba 王霸, Xing'e 性惡, Tianlun 天論, Jiebi 解蔽, Zhengming 正名, Lilun 禮論, and Yuelun 樂論. It was only during the late Qing period 清 (1644-1911) that scholars again became interested in the writings and thoughts of the Xunzi. Wang Xianqian 王先謙 collected all those commentaries in his book Xunzi jijie 荀子集解. A newer commentary is Liang Qixiong's 梁啟雄 Xunzi jianshi 荀子簡釋.
There is a complete translation by John Knoblock (transl. 1990), Xunzi: A Translation and Study of the Complete Works, 3 vols, Stanford: Stanford University Press; and a partial translation by Burton Watson (1963), Hsün Tzu: Basic Writings, New York: Columbia University Press.
Source: Wu Rongceng 吳榮曾 (1992). "Xun Qing 荀卿", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史, vol. 3, p. 1347. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe.
| Contents |
1. 勸學篇 Quanxue An exhortation to learning
2. 脩身篇 Youshen On self-cultivation
3. 不苟篇 Bugou Nothing indecorous
4. 榮辱篇 Rongru Of honour and disgrace
5. 非相篇 Feixiang Contra physiognomy
6. 非十二子篇 Fei shierzi Contra twelve philosophers
7. 仲尼篇 Zhong Ni On Confucius
8. 儒效篇 Ruxiao The teachings of the Confucians
9. 王制篇 Wangzhi On the regulations of a king
10. 富國篇 Fuguo On enriching a state
11. 王霸篇 Wangba Of kings and lords-protector
12. 君道篇 Jundao On the way of a lord
13. 臣道篇 Chendao On the way of ministers
14. 致士篇 Zhishi On attracting scholars
15. 議兵篇 Yibing Debate on the principles of warfare
16. 彊國篇 Qiangguo On strengthening the state
17. 天論篇 Tianlun Discourse on nature
18. 正論篇 Zhenglun Rectifying theses
19. 禮論篇 Lilun Discourse on ritual principles
20. 樂論篇 Yuelun Discourse on music
21. 解蔽篇 Jiebi Dispelling blindness
22. 正名篇 Zhengming On the correct use of names
23. 性惡篇 Xing'e Man’s nature is evil
24. 君子篇 Junzi On the gentleman
25. 成相篇 Chengxiang Working songs
26. 賦篇 Fu Rhyme-prose poems
27. 大略篇 Dalüe The great compendium
28. 宥坐篇 Youzuo The warning vessel on the right
29. 子道篇 Zidao On the way of sons
30. 法行篇 Faxing On the model of conduct
31. 哀公篇 Aigong Duke Ai
32. 堯問篇 Yao wen The questions of Yao
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Chinese literature according to the four-category system
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