Xunzi

Author: Pan Jiazhuo Nie Chong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: As a famous philosopher and scholar in the late Warring States period, Xunzi critically inherited Confucianism from Confucius and established his own philosophical system, which, in a sense, even surpassed Confucius. The book Xunzi, consisting of thirty-two chapters, is profound and extensive, covering multiple aspects such as politics, economy, military, and academia, reflecting Xunzi's philosophical system and characteristics. Xunzi was a (na?ve materialist), believing that "the heavens operate with constancy" and are not influenced by human will, but humans can "control the destiny of heaven and utilize it." This idea of human will overcoming nature was unprecedented. Therefore, when discussing human cognitive ability, Xunzi emphasized that humans have the ability to recognize objective things, and these objective things are, in turn, recognizable. However, people must prevent one-sided errors and correctly understand the laws of nature and governance by employing the method of "" (emptying oneself and achieving tranquility). Xunzi's philosophical views are concentrated in chapters such as On Heaven and On Obstruction.