What is the historical status of Xunzi s academic thought

Xunzi was the first person to use the name of Fu and write Fu in the question-and-answer style, and together with Qu Yuan, he was called the "ancestor of Cifu". He was very knowledgeable, and inherited the Confucian doctrine of the early Xunzi statue (Chinese Encyclopedia (concise)).

On the basis of absorbing the advantages of each family, it synthesized and transformed it, established its own ideological system, and developed the ancient materialist tradition. Most of the 32 extant "Xunzi" articles are Xunzi's own works, involving many aspects of philosophy, logic, politics, and morality. In terms of the concept of nature, he opposed the belief in the destiny of ghosts and gods, affirmed that the laws of nature are not transferred by human will, and proposed that people should conform to the laws of nature in order to prosper and develop; On the issue of human nature, he put forward the "theory of sexual evil", asserting that human nature has two parts: "sexual" and "pseudo", sex (nature) is the animal instinct of evil, and pseudo (artificial) is the etiquette and music education of good, and denies the moral concept of talent.

emphasizing the impact of the environment and education on people; In terms of political ideology, he adhered to the Confucian principle of etiquette, and at the same time attached importance to people's material needs, and advocated the combination of economic development and the rule of law. Epistemologically, he acknowledges that the human mind reflects reality. However, there is a tendency to deprive the role of the senses.

In his famous "Persuasion of Learning", he focused on his views on learning. The article emphasizes the importance of "learning", believes that erudition and frequent examination and reflection on oneself can "know and do nothing", and points out that learning must be linked to reality, learn to apply, and the learning attitude should be sincere, single-minded, and persevering. He attached great importance to the status and role of teachers in teaching, believing that in order for the country to prosper, it must value teachers, and at the same time set strict requirements for teachers, believing that if teachers do not set an example for students, students cannot practice them.

He also proposed that "the water will carry the boat, and the water will capsize the boat".

Xunzi's position in the Confucian system can be understood from the following three aspects: 1. Xunxue has the spirit of academic criticism and the consciousness of inclusiveness, which reflects the historical trend of the Warring States period from a hundred schools of thought to academic integration. No matter from which angle it is examined, the value of academic history and intellectual history of "Xunzi Fei Twelve Sons" should be explored.

2. Xunzi made great contributions to the teaching of Confucian classics. Confucianism in the Han Dynasty, not only "etiquette" comes from Xunxue, but also "poetry and classics" and even "Spring and Autumn Studies" are related to Xunxue. Qing Confucian Wang Zhong's "General Theory of Xun Qingzi" believes that "Xun Qing's learning, from Confucius, and especially due to the scriptures", and made a detailed study of Xunzi's "transmission of scriptures", which is basically agreed by scholars who study the history of classics.

The contemporary Confucian Xu Fuguan also spoke highly of Xunzi's position in the history of scriptures. 3. Xunzi pays close attention to the changes in the real world and is full of the spirit of merit. Xunzi lectured in Qi, Shi Eun in Chu, discussed soldiers in Zhao, discussed politics in Yan, and discussed customs in Qin, and his influence on the society at that time was not under Confucius and Mencius.

Confucius did not enter the Qin Dynasty, but Xunzi praised the Qin government and Qin customs, and at the same time criticized him for being "Confucian". This shows that under the premise of adhering to the basic belief of Confucianism, he is still striving to expand the political space of Confucianism. Between politics and academia, the pragmatic spirit embodied by Xunzi should be the object of Dong Zhongshu, a Confucian sect in the Han Dynasty.

All of them contributed to the adaptation of Confucianism to the environment of the times and to seek new development. [1]

The culmination of Confucianism.

Xunzi's main ideas: 1. The idea of heaven and nature; 2. The idea of "heaven is constant"; 3. The idea of "separation between heaven and man"; 4. The idea of "making the destiny of heaven and using it"; 5. The theory of sexual evil.

Introduction to Xunzi. Xunzi, the name of the situation, the word Qing, Han nationality, is a famous thinker, writer and politician in China, and the people of the time are honored as "Xunqing". In the Western Han Dynasty, because of the avoidance of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty Liu Xun, because the ancient sound of the words "Xun" and "Sun" are connected, it is also called Sun Qing. Xunzi opposed Mencius in the theory of human nature and put forward the "theory of sexual evil".

Xunzi inherited and developed the early Confucian idea of "etiquette and music", and absorbed the Legalist idea of the rule of law, advocating equal emphasis on etiquette and law, and the king and tyranny.

1. The idea of "heaven is constant".

Xunzi believes that the sky is not mysterious and unpredictable, but has its own unchanging laws, which is a natural inevitability, and it does not depend on the likes and dislikes of the world to change.

2. The idea of "separation between heaven and man".

Xunzi believes that nature and human beings have their own laws and duties. Heaven cannot interfere with humanity, heaven returns to heaven, and man returns to man, so it is not uncommon to say that heaven and man are separated. The control of chaos and evil is in the people, not in the sky.

3. The idea of "making the destiny of heaven and using it".

In Xunzi's view, instead of superstitious about the authority of heaven, to think about it, sing praises to him, and wait for the gift of "heaven", it is better to use the laws of nature to serve people.

4. The idea of "Heaven and Nature".

Xunzi emphasized man's subjective initiative in the face of nature, and advocated the ideas of "governing the mandate of heaven", "cutting all things", and "transforming it with energy". Xunzi clearly declared that to know the way of heaven is to be able to dominate the way of heaven and dominate the natural world.

Background: The magnificent social changes during the Warring States Period were the background of the emergence of Xunzi Thought.

At that time, the whole society was changing from slavery to feudal feudalism.

In the process of continuous reform, the feudal system was consolidated and developed.

The innovation of social thought and the development of theories have also undergone profound changes.

At a time when the call for reunification of the country is getting louder and louder, and the pace of reunification is getting faster and faster, the situation of academics holding on to one end and attacking each other no longer meets the requirements of the times.

How to comprehensively sort out the theories of the hundred schools of thought and put forward an effective ideological strategy for governing the country has become a top priority.

Xunzi's legal thought based on his theory of human nature has become a legal theory with innovative value to solve the social changes at that time, realize national unification and long-term social stability.

The emergence of Xunzi's legal thought benefited from the cultural prosperity of the state from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period for hundreds of years and the ideological prosperity marked by the "contention of a hundred schools".

With a rational attitude and an academic mind of "inclusiveness", Xunzi integrated the academic ideas of this historical period and established his own ideological system with theoretical significance and practical value.

As Guo Moruo said: "Xunzi is the last master of the pre-Qin princes, he not only collected the great achievements of Confucianism, but also can be said to be the ...... of the great achievements of a hundred schools."He has almost integrated the doctrines of a hundred schools of thought. ”[1]

The generation of any thought is inseparable from the call and needs of the times.

The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period were in what the German historian Jaspers called the "Axial Age" of human cultural history.

2] It is a cultural axial age that needs ideological giants.

In the process of deconstructing Confucianism, which focuses on "respecting and kissing", the desire for nature has become the subjective motivation that drives the behavior of members of society.

Rebuilding social order and finding the basis for cultural values for society and people became a very prominent issue of the times during the Warring States period.

According to Marx, all philosophies depend on their own epochs and must face them, and they "come into contact with and interact with the real world of their own time, not only from within, i.e., in terms of their contents, but also from the outside in terms of their manifestations." [3] In the historical course of the development of Hanyuan society, "the change in the focus of the problem naturally prompts thinkers to give different answers to the problem."

The times call for philosophers and thinkers to respond, because philosophers and thinkers are only part of the times, the children of the times. [4] As a result, Xunzi integrated the learning of a hundred schools of thought and took on the historical responsibility of answering the problems of the times.