Xunzi
Xunzi
I am Xunzi, but I am also known by my birth name of Xun Kuang. I was born in 310 BCE and I died in approximately 221 BCE. I lived my entire life during some of China´s most tumultuous years, the infamous Warring States Period, where territories or provinces were constantly battling each other for territory, resources, and people. I was born in the Zhao Province but left in my early twenties to attend the Jixia academy and to fill an advisory position in the Qi Province to the east. I was soon recognized as a man of great potential and philosophical intelligence and left Qi to operate an administrative position in the government of the Chu Province to the south until my sponsor died in 238 BCE forcing me into retirement. It was after this retirement that I was truly able to devote myself to the spreading of my philosophies and traveling around to the different regions of China. Though it is possible that I may have lived long enough to witness the establishment of the unification of China and the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, it can only be left to speculation. It was through my devotion to teaching my interpretation of Confucian philosophy that I was able to influence the future of China and contribute, through my students Li Si and Han Feizi, to the establishment of a more stabilized and unified China.
Works
I, Xunzi, was the primary author of an important philosophical text which was named after me. The text was comprised of 32 books in the form of bamboo strips, 25 of which were authentically written by myself. I wrote in the style of argumentative essays instead of in parables as did Zhuangzi or in dialogue form like my primary rival Mencius. I was also the first Confucian scholar to elevate the sometimes vague or complicated sayings and conversations expressed by Confucius and Mencius to a level of reasoning, topical development, clarity, and detail through rational organization and expression in essay form. The seven books that are not directly attributed to me were written by my students and followers based on the teachings they received from their master teacher, however, the text comprises probably the largest compilation of early Chinese philosophical works that can be accredited to one author.
Interpretations
Surprisingly, I never discussed directly my own written works and so the first mentions of them are attributed to Liu Hsiang, a Han scholar that noticed my work among three hundred and twenty-two bundles of bamboo writings and organized them. The works were never formally analyzed until 818 CE and comprise the same analysis that predominates scholarship on my philosophies even today. The fact that the work is written in the form of clear arguments makes it more accessible to a wider audience than the more abstract philosophies of other philosophers of the period.
Methods for Learning
Because I was clearly a student of Confucius, my first step to learning is to be near a teacher, and follow that person and devote one's life to learning. The second is to observe the Confucian rights actively. Through these two steps, learning is a tool to unify oneself. Some steps to learning:
- Hold firm to the inner power => this will bring order to the body => which will help respond to others => which will create a complete man.
- Self cultivate. Be open and serious, be involved in social processes, and reject flattery and accept criticism and act on that criticism.
Learning comes from acting, and acting brings about reactions. If a person does not do the things he/she learns, he/she will not have true knowledge. So a person can be noble, but unless they were to practice daily, they could not be perfect. Perfection comes from taking little steps, achievement means never giving up and will power is the key to never giving up. Knowledge obtained in this way is to be embodied and should not be used to obtain attention.
Philosophy
The Way, Heaven, and Nature
Despite being clear and well-explained in the written form, the my philosophy is controversial and at times quite complex. Like many of the other scholars of the Warring States Period, I subscribed to the concept of the Way or the Dao. I described my theories of the Way in terms of a proper way of living instead of a theoretical road or path to prosperity and happiness. My realistic approach to the Way means that my views of Heaven and Nature are less referential to the supernatural and more based on the results of commitment to consistency.
I believe that Heaven does not intervene in the affairs of men, but rather acts in a consistent and predictable manner. Heaven does not reward or punish men for their actions because it is up to the individual to being their own good fortune based on their adherence to the Way. I believe that following the Way leads to a peaceful and orderly society, while ignoring certain aspects of the Way, leads to the perpetual frustrations brought about by Human Nature. For example, having a good harvest is not an answer to prayer, but rather a direct result of good agricultural policy. Natural occurrences such as eclipses, natural disasters, etc. are not from deity, but are simply nature being nature and were bound to happen regardless of the behavior of men. People should not do good things to please heaven, instead they should do good things in order to be prepared for any situation or difficulty that may arise. (IEP) I firmly believe that "if you are single-minded in your cultivation of the Way, Heaven cannot sent disasters. Thus, even if they come, droughts and floods will not bring starvation, extremes of temperature will not bring illness, uncanny phenomena will not prove unlucky."(BROOKLYN) The converse is undoubtedly true as well, if one does not prepare sufficiently, then whether the disasters come or not, the people will certainly suffer, not at the fault of Heaven, but at their own fault.
In modern terms, you all do not carry a spare tire and first aid kit in your cars in order to please heaven and receive blessings. You carry those items in case your tire is destroyed or you are injured somehow. I believe in practicality, reason, and being realistic over attributing mystical powers to heaven and nature. Despite this fact I do not discount the proper utilization of rituals in order to bind society together. I once said, "You pray for rain and it rains. Why? For no particular reason, I say. It is just as though you had not prayed for rain and it rained anyway." The performance of the ritual does not cause the outcome, but it unites the people under a common cause and it is therefore necessary.
Human Nature
One of the most important contributions that I made through my philosophy was my view on Human Nature. Contrary to many other scholars, specifically Mencius, I believed that Human Nature is evil. When I taught this concept it was not to imply that by nature humans find pleasure in being evil or doing bad things, but rather that they are born without a moral compass and their natural and original state at birth is chaos and contention. I argued that this point is clearly visible in the selfish and needy nature of humans and that the controlling of that behavior comes by means of cultivating change through lifelong learning paired with adherence to ritual. My philosophy of human nature "is based on a distinction between those characteristics that arise spontaneously in people and cannot be changed, on the one hand, and characteristics that are the result of human effort, on the other."(STANFORD) In basic terms, I believe that people do not have success or failure because of their inherent abilities or natural talents, but because of their commitment to follow the Way and constant efforts towards personal change and improvement. I taught that "the difference between the gentlemen and the common person lies not in their desires, but in the actions they take to satisfy their desires."(STANFORD) This is where rituals come into play. Rituals are not used to eliminate the natural desires of man, but rather to nourish those desires and establish semblances of order in life. "Gentlemen consider them to be art of the way of man; common people think they have something to do with ghosts."(BROOKLYN)
When my philosophical rival Mencius sought to argue that the nature of man was good, not evil as I have always indicated, I explained to him that if that were true there would be no need for the institution of rituals and duties which the sages of old established and that we require these in order to control and reign in our innate tendencies for evil.
Politics
Xunzi was a political realist. He taught to dismiss those who are incompetent, promote those who are worthy, punish the evil, transform the ordinary, and anyone that uses talents against the good of the people should put to death. Hierarchy in politics is essential for order. The emperor should not rely on outer force, but should strengthen inner power. Lords should preserve and protect subjects and be respectful towards other lords. A ruler should regulate affairs, have several rates of taxation, and unify commerce so that all can prosper.
Human nature and rites
According to Xunzi, human nature is evil and should not be followed. To get away from human nature humans must be taught ritual, respect, hard work and charity. Humans should also not rely on emotions. Xunzi taught that if there was no evil in humans, there would be no need for rightness or ritual. If humans were good, why would there be a need to be taught good things? There are three roots which make up the rites:
- Heaven and earth: the root of life
- Ancestors: the root of the human species
- Rulers and teachers: the root of order
Xunzi taught that the proper respect and ritual is needed for all three roots to succeed. He also taught that the mind needs to be empty, unified, still and the ruler of the body and the master of spiritual intelligence. For the mind to become these things proper examination, comparison, and investigations need to occur.
References
de Bary, WM. Theodore & Bloom, Irene. Sources of Chinese tradition, vol 1, 2nd ed. Columbia University Press, 1999 New York. Pages 159-183