Classical Chinese Masterpieces Library Youth Edition · Treasure Edition — Xunzi

Author: Xue Gang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: The book Xunzi is the main work recording the thoughts of Xunzi, consisting of 32 chapters in total. It is generally believed that the last five chapters, namely Youzuo, Zidao, Fahang, Aigong, and Yaowen, are not his original works but rather texts compiled or recorded by him and his disciples from the words and deeds of others. However, their viewpoints align with Xunzi's consistent stance. Among the first 27 chapters, a few, such as Yibing and Dalue, may have been compiled by his students. The book Xunzi is rich in content and profound in depth, serving as a summary of the academic achievements of the pre-Qin era. It showcases Xunzi's research in various fields, including philosophy, logic, ethics, politics, economics, military science, education, science and technology, literature, and art. At the same time, Xunzi is also a shining example of prose creation among the pre-Qin philosophers. The Analects and Mencius are primarily collections of recorded dialogues and anecdotes, while Zhuangzi has taken on the form of essays but still retains traces of dialogue-style writing. By the time of Xunzi, it has fully developed into complete essays. Xunzi's writing is robust, rigorous, and thorough in reasoning, often employing metaphors, contrasts, parallel structures, and the use of famous quotes. His arguments are clear, well-supported, and uniquely distinctive among the prose of the pre-Qin philosophers. Together with Mencius, Zhuangzi, and Han Feizi, Xunzi is hailed as one of the four pillars of prose in the pre-Qin era. This book adopts a method of selecting the essence and key points, choosing the most influential viewpoints and brilliant arguments, providing annotations and translations, and offering concise commentary and analysis. The two chapters Quanxue (On Learning) and Tianlun (On Heaven) are Xunzi's most famous representative works and are fully translated in their entirety. The remaining 30 chapters are selected, with varying degrees of selection.