Xun Zi
Xun Zi
Xun Kuang, also widely known as Xun Zi,, was a Chinese Realist Confucian philosopher who lived during the Warring States period and contributed to one of the Hundred Schools of Thought...
NationalityChinese
ProfessionPhilosopher
CountryChina
chinese-philosopher pliable rigid
The rigid cause themselves to be broken; the pliable cause themselves to be bound.
chinese-philosopher lack people ritual tendencies
When people lack teachers, their tendencies are not corrected; when they do not have ritual and moral principles, then their lawlessness is not controlled.
chinese-philosopher coming disgrace inner
The coming of honor or disgrace must be a reflection of one's inner power.
cautious chinese-philosopher merely upright
There are successful scholars, public-spirited scholars, upright scholars, cautious scholars, and those who are merely petty men.
chinese-philosopher fantastic human integral music required
Music is a fantastic peacekeeper of the world, it is integral to harmony, and it is a required fundamental of human emotion.
activity chinese-philosopher mind moderate quickness
If the quickness of the mind and the fluency of the tongue are too punctilious and sharp, moderate them in your activity and rest.
chinese-philosopher eat fill human nature rest warm
Now it is human nature to want to eat to ones fill when hungry, to want to warm up when cold, to want to rest when tired. These all are a part of people's emotional nature.
chinese-philosopher desires good harm proper
If what the heart approves conforms to proper patterns, then even if one's desires are many, what harm would they be to good order?
capable chinese-philosopher whether
Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same.
antiquity bad chinese-philosopher corrected nature recognized sage tendencies
In antiquity the sage kings recognized that men's nature is bad and that their tendencies were not being corrected and their lawlessness controlled.
chinese-philosopher far farther high standing toes tried
I once tried standing up on my toes to see far out in the distance, but I found that I could see much farther by climbing to a high place.
chinese-philosopher daring impulse stay
If the impulse to daring and bravery is too fierce and violent, stay it with guidance and instruction.
attempting chinese-philosopher travel
The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.
achieve changed chinese-philosopher courtesy guided obey observe principles rules
Therefore, a person should first be changed by a teacher's instructions, and guided by principles of ritual. Only then can he observe the rules of courtesy and humility, obey the conventions and rules of society, and achieve order.