Zhu Weizhang | The Interaction between Xunzi's Theory of Human Nature and Famous Science

The Interaction between Xunzi's Theory of Human Nature and Famous Science

Zhu Weizhang

Abstract: Xunzi Theory of Humanity is the logical basis for the construction of its theory of human nature, and the content of the theory of human nature reflects the dual characteristics of the flexibility and one-sidedness of Xunzi theory of human nature. Among them, Xunzi's new definition of "sex", "pseudo" and "transformation" provides conceptual support for his theory of human nature, and the dichotomy provides the main idea for the theory of human nature evolution. In addition, Xunzi emphasizes the "distinction between sexual pseudo-sex" at the conceptual level and "sexual pseudo-union" at the practical level, reflecting the flexibility of its "name". However, on the issue of the similarities and differences between the nature of saints and ordinary people, Xunzi's thesis fell into one-sidedness. Xun Zi is good at justifying names and words through the distinction between form and reality, but in the process of organizing "names" into "words", that is, forming judgments and propositions, he blindly takes "reality" (substantive aspects) as the basis for judgment, and despises the role of "shape" (the non-essential aspect of things themselves) - in practice, this kind of thinking deviation will lead to qualitative errors.

Keywords: Xunzi; Sexual Evil; Discernment of Reality; Hypocrisy; Nature of Saints

About author:Zhu Weizhang, male, PhD candidate, School of History, Beijing Normal University (Beijing 100088).

Since the 1920s, the research on the theory of Xunzi's human nature at home and abroad has achieved fruitful results, and at the same time there are many controversies. The key to the formation of these academic controversies is, first, the dissenting views around the originality of the text of "Sexual Evil", and the second is the diversity of research ideas of various families. As far as the latter is concerned, "using Xun to solve Xun" is still an effective way. In past research, "Correct Name" is an important auxiliary material for us to explore its theory of human nature from within the Xunzi theory.

Related to this, Xunzi Mingxue is mainly presented in the "Correct Name", but its practical application and specific development are not limited to this one article. From texts such as "Sexual Evil", it is also possible to examine the relevant information of famous science. In other words, we can not only use the "Correct Name" to explain "Sexual Evil", but also use the situation reflected in the Xunzi theory of human nature in the latter to weigh the gains and losses of its nomenclature.

Judging from the respective situations of Xunzi's theory of human nature and the idea of famous science, there has been more discussion in the academic circles, but the results of interactive research on these two within Xunzi thought are rare. Among them, the conceptual sources and theories in the construction process of Xunzi's theory of human nature are examined based on the results of Xunzi's own relevant "correct name", and the research is based on the solid basis of the theory of human nature, and it is more critical to reflect on the gains and losses of Xunzi's name based on the content of the theory of human nature. This interactive research horizon will not only help us grasp the logical basis of Xunzi's theory of human nature, but also promote our new understanding of Xunzi's famous science. This article takes "Correct Name" and "Sexual Evil" as the main text basis, trying to show that the achievements, principles and methods of Xunzi's "correct name" contained in "Correct Name" have played a fundamental role in the construction of its theory of human nature; and from the situation reflected in The theory of Xunzi's human nature, Xunzi's name science has both its progressive nature and a certain deviation of thinking.

I. The famous basis of Xunzi's theory of human nature

Judging from the content of thought, the purpose of writing, and the structure of the chapters, the two articles of "Correct Name" and "Sexual Evil" are closely related and have similarities in form. First of all, in terms of ideological content, the two share the concepts of "sex", "worry", "pseudo", "emotion", "desire" to a certain extent, and the process from conceptual stereotyping to theoretical application (or vice versa) is presented between the two texts. Secondly, in terms of the purpose of writing, Xunzi denounced "strange words", "heresies" and rejected "Xiaojiazhen theory" in "Correct Names", and opposed Mencius's theory of sexual goodness and the theory of "human nature and evil" in "Sexual Evil", both of which reflected the background of Xunzi's "discernment" at that time and his people's deep concern for the relationship between human affection and etiquette and righteousness and chaos control. Finally, in terms of the structure of the chapters, both "Correct Name" and "Sexual Evil" begin with the distinction of related concepts, and then involve the hierarchical division of the subject's specific ability and literacy, and finally discuss the problem of human cultivation practice, and have words that echo the theme. In addition, there is a certain practical connection between the two texts. Wu Feibai pointed out that the exposition of the "name" of the theory of human nature in "Zhengming" is "related to the greatest issues that have been debated in the academic circles of the day." Therefore, Xunzi took one of the special and correct ones to redefine the boundary theory also" [1]748. In this regard, "Righteous Name", like "Sexual Evil", served the human nature debate that Xunzi was involved in at that time. The above all shows that it is not necessary to use "Correct Name" to solve "Sexual Evil".

Specifically from the article "Sexual Evil", Xunzi's theory of human nature takes "sex", "pseudo", and "transformation" as the core concept, and the above names together constitute the two major propositions of "human nature is evil, and its good is also false" and "the transformation of nature is false"[2]420,424. The definition of "sex", "pseudo", and "transformation" in "Correct Name" can correspond to the "Sexual Evil" section one by one.

(1) By "sexual" and "pseudo"

First, about "sex". There is a similarity in the words "sex" in many articles of "Xunzi", but the meaning of "sex" mentioned in different articles is somewhat different, among which "Sexual Evil" is the most abundant. "Sexual Evil" says "sex", compared with "Honor and Disgrace", "Correct Name" and other articles have some definitions, these definitions are originally based on the exposition of "human sexual evil" is necessary. However, on the substantive level, the "sex" in "Sexual Evil" does not go beyond the scope of "Correct Name". The definition of "sex" in the "Correct Name" is as follows:

The reason for the birth is called sex. The sum of life and the birth, the essence of induction, not the natural call of sex. ［2］399

The "fine induction" here refers to the reaction produced by the sensory ability to contact the foreign object, that is, the sensory desire. In addition, the passage says that "the lover, the quality of sex also",[2]415. Above, the "Correct Name" makes basic provisions on the content and characteristics of "sex": "sex" refers to people's sensory ability (ability) and sensory desires, and also refers to the attitude (likes and dislikes) and emotions (moods and sorrows) that arise naturally from people's contact with external objects; the essential characteristics of "sex" are not caused.

The definition of "sex" in Sexual Evil is consistent with the "Correct Name" in substance, and also regards functional ability ("sight can see", etc.) and sensory desire ("hunger and fullness", etc.) as the content of "sex", emphasizing that "sex" is "feeling natural, and those who do not wait for things to be born later" [2]423. However, there are also some more statements in "Sexual Evil":

The nature of today's human beings is born with good interests,...... Born sick and evil,...... Born with the desire to see and see, there is a good voice, and it is obedient, so fornication is born and etiquette and righteousness are dead. ［2］420

The husband is good for profit and wants to get, and the person's sentiment is also. ［2］424

The above-mentioned "good profit" and "disease and evil" are the contents that Xunzi added to "sex" based on the need to argue for the "evil nature of human nature". These are only some extensions of the concept of "sex". In other words, "good" and "evil" are not the essential definitions of "sex". Xunzi's definition of "sex" is still "heaven is also, can not be learned, can not be done"[2]421, which is consistent with what the "Correct Name" says. Furthermore, it can be seen that "evil" does not refer to the original "sex" itself, but only to Xunzi's value prediction of the natural development trend of "sex" in the acquired environment. If we look at the so-called evil ones from the perspective of "the so-called evil ones, the sinister and rebellious ones"[2]425, human nature is not inherently "evil", but can be called "evil" when it forms a fundamental conflict between it and the order of etiquette and righteousness in the acquired environment. Even if there is "good profit" and "disease and evil" with a negative nature, if a person does not "obey" or "from (vertical)" and does not reach the point of "competing for life" and "the life of a thief"[2]420, he cannot be called "evil". The purpose of Xunzi is to illustrate that in the absence of the Ritual Teacher's Method to correct and guide, human nature naturally tends to be evil, which is the meaning of "sexual evil".

Second, about "pseudo". Historically, commentators have interpreted "pseudo" as "pseudo, universal" and "hypocrite artificially". Liao Mingchun summed up this and pointed out that the word "pseudo" in "Xunzi" has three meanings, of which 35 cases of "pseudo" characters appear in the four chapters of "Zhengyi", "Ritual Theory", "Zhengming" and "Sexual Evil" are "rational people are righteous", 2 cases in "Zhengming" (according to: "pseudo" in the article 2 see), and 27 cases in "Sexual Evil" (according to 30 cases of "pseudo" in the article). It can be seen that the meaning of the word "pseudo" in "Zhengming" is the same as the main use of the word "Sexual Evil", and Xunzi gives a new meaning of "pseudo", that is, rational human righteousness, and makes a specific development in its theory of human nature. Sexual Evil defines "pseudo" as "the one who can learn and can do things in the human being", which distinguishes it from the "sex" of "unlearnable, unsophisticated"[2]421-422. Furthermore, the rites are considered to be "born of the hypocrisy of the saints, and not of human nature"[2]423; the distinction between saints and ordinary people is also attributed to the "hypocrisy" of the saints. In addition, "Sexual Evil" emphasizes that the meaning of "pseudo" and "sex" for maintaining the order of etiquette and righteousness are completely different, and the obedience satisfaction and expansion of human sensory desires will inevitably conflict with the rules of etiquette that emphasize moderation and orderliness, while "pseudo" can play a role in correcting emotion and maintaining etiquette.

(2) Discernment and "Transformation" of Reality

In the past, "sexual falsification" was usually understood as "changing human nature and raising artificiality". If there is nothing wrong with saying "change", it seems to obscure a key question, that is, in what sense of "change" is "change"? One of the potential theoretical problems in Sexual Evil is that Xunzi acknowledges that human nature can be "changed" in the day after tomorrow, but at the same time repeatedly emphasizes the "oneness of nature" between gentlemen and villains, saints and people. How can such a complex position, which acknowledges the existence of "change" and advocates the "consequences" as the same, be reconciled? If we quote the explanation of "transformation" in the "Correct Name", the problem here is not clear. "Correct Name" says:

Those who are the same but different, although they can be combined, are called two truths. The change of form and the reality of the different, it is called the transformation. There is no difference between being transformed and nothing else, which is called one reality. The reason why this matter is also fixed. ［2］407

"The same and the different" refers to the situation where two things have the same external conditions (Yang Liang notes that "if two horses are in the same shape, each is in the same place") [2]407, although one can be used together, it is ultimately two objects. "The one who changes but the reality is different" refers to the situation in which the external condition of the thing changes but there is no other substance before and after it. For example, Yang Liang said: "If the old and the young are different, they are the same body. Silkworms, moths and the like are also. [2] 407 This situation is called "transformation", and the existence of things before and after has its identity ("one reality"). This process or method of determining the "number" by examining the "state" (non-essential aspect) and the "real" (substantive aspect) of things is called "auditing the real number". The "number" here can refer to both the number of "objects" and the "number" of the "real", and the "real is nothing else" is "one real". The "audit real fixed number" not only plays an important role in "correcting the name", but also conducts synchronic comparison or diachronic analysis of things based on the dichotomy of form and reality, which itself has typical methodological significance for the formation of "words" (propositions).

Xun Zi investigates human nature through the method of "auditing the real number", and then determines that the changes that human nature may experience in the acquired environment belong to the category of "transformation". According to the above, Xunzi's use of "transformation" carries its own private meaning in some cases. "Transformation" refers to changing the "state" (non-essential aspect) of human nature without changing its "reality" (substantive aspect). At the same time, the "oneness of the nature" between saints and ordinary people can be explained as follows: the nature of saints and ordinary people is "one also" in terms of "reality", and there is a difference in the "state" of "sex" (more on this later). Here we need to make a supplementary explanation of what is the "state" and "reality" of human nature.

The "reality" (substance) of "sex" that Xunzi believes is clearly expressed in the Sexual Evil: "Heaven is also ,...... It is not to be learned, it is not to be done, but in the human being, it is called sex. [2] 421-422 From the essential theory, the characteristic of "not doing and being able to" is the identity that has always been maintained in the process of the acquired development of human nature; from the specific content theory, the subject's functions, sensory instincts and desires, and natural emotions and emotions are all consistent contents in the process of the acquired development of human nature. The "state" (non-essential aspect) of human nature in the process of acquired development specifically includes the degree of sensory desire, the nature of the desired person (whether it is in line with the "Tao"), and the different likes and dislikes of the mind (self-interest, etiquette, etc.). For example, the Sexual Evil says that "the nature of the present man is hungry and full", but "he is good at what he does not dare to eat first"[2]422, that is, the agent changes the impulse of sensual desires through the rule of etiquette of "letting". In this process, only the "state" of "sex" changes.

In summary, Xunzi's famous science is the logical basis for the construction of his theory of human nature. The basis is that: First, Xunzi's new definition of the connotations of "sex", "pseudo", "transformation" provides a conceptual framework for the construction of the theory of human nature, and the main content of the theory of human nature, that is, "human nature is evil, its good is false" and "the hypocrisy of nature arises", all depend on this framework; second, the dichotomy of form and reality provides the main idea for the theory of human nature evolution, so that "human can be transformed" and "sex is no different" can stand side by side.

Second, from the perspective of human nature, we can see the gains and losses of fame and learning

Zeng Zhaoshi summarized the argument structure of Xunzi logic as "correct name - use name", "'correct name' is to determine the meaning of 'name', pay attention to the relationship between name and reality; 'use name' is to study the accurate use of 'name' in speech and debate" The construction of Xunzi's theory of human nature is based on the relevant "correct name" results on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is also based on certain "name" rules. This has been discussed earlier. On this basis, further exploring the situation of "using names" in the theory of Xunzi's human nature will be crucial for us to understand the advantages and disadvantages of Xunzi's theory of human nature.

(1) From "sexual pseudo-division" to "sexual pseudo-union"

The "distinction between sexual and false" is the logical starting point of Xunzi's argument on human nature. "Sexual Evil" says: "It is impossible to learn, it is not to be done, but in man, it is called sex; it can be learned and can be learned, and it can be made into a person, which is called false." It is also the distinction between sexual hypocrisy. [2] The essential difference between "sex" and "pseudo" in 421-422 is whether it is "learnable" or not, and everything that requires acquired learning and hard work to achieve belongs to the category of "pseudo". Therefore, Xunzi attributed the "righteousness" of "goodness" to "falsehood" and the key to man's ability to be good. Human nature does have the possibility of goodness in the day after tomorrow, and Xunzi emphasizes that this possibility fundamentally stems from the "hypocrisy" of having something to do, after all, "sex cannot be beautiful"[2]356.

When Xun Zi emphasized the "distinction between sexual and pseudo-pseudo", he used the two names of "sex" and "pseudo" in opposites, and made a completely different distinction between the actual meanings of "sex" and "pseudo". "Sexual Evil" said:

The saints pondered, practiced hypocrisy, and arose from the Dhamma with the righteousness of the rites, but those who were born of the Dhamma of the saints were born of the hypocrisy of the saints, and they were born of human nature for no reason. If the husband is lustful, the ears are good, the mouth is good, the heart is good, the bones and skin are good and happy, they are all born of human affection, the sense is natural, and the one who does not wait for things to be born later is also. Those who feel it and cannot be so, and who will treat things as they are, are said to be born of hypocrisy. It is born of sex and hypocrisy, and its different signs are also. ［2］423-424

From the point of view of the essential provisions of "sex" and "pseudo", they are indeed completely dichotomous; but the content of the two in reality is not unrelated. In fact, righteousness is born out of the "hypocrisy of the saints" and depends to some extent on human nature. "Those who are righteous are born of the hypocrisy of the saints, and are not born of human nature" emphasizes the acquired nature of "hypocrisy"[2]423, but cannot deny the relevance of "sex" and "pseudo" in reality or practice. The Treatise on Etiquette theoretically summarizes this: "The sex one, the original material is simple; the pseudo-one, the literary theory Longshengye." Asexuality is false and nothing, and non-hypocrisy cannot be self-beautiful. [2] 356 If there is no "sex" as a natural material, "pseudo" has no object of influence. "Sex" and "pseudo" can be divided in "name", but in reality they must eventually exist in a "conjunctive" way. The Treatise on Etiquette here aims to illustrate the practical connection between the two from the point of view of "pseudo" and "sex". In addition to emphasizing the necessity and role of "pseudo" exertion on "sex", "Sexual Evil" also points out that "sex" helps "pseudo". Xunzi explicitly believes that:

Mortals desire to be good, and sexual evil to be evil. Husband thin wishes thick, evil wishes beauty, narrow wishes wide, poor wish rich, low wishes expensive, those who have nothing, will seek outside; ... He who has one's own will not be able to do with the outside. ...... The nature of today's human beings is inherently impolite, so it is strong to learn and seek to have; sex does not know etiquette, so it is also thoughtful and seeking knowledge. ［2］425

This passage shows that some of the contents of "sex" have a positive significance for people's goodness, including: First, the good-interest psychology of "those who have nothing to do with them must seek outside" helps people to germinate the desire or motivation to seek goodness and knowledge; second, the intellectual and mental activity of "thinking and seeking knowledge" is the intellectual basis for people to know righteousness. This is a further statement and supplement to the "sexual pseudo-union" of the Treatise on Etiquette, which explains the two-way correlation between "sex" and "pseudo" at the practical level. Comparatively speaking, the Treatise on Rites clarifies the correlation between "sex" and "hypocrisy" at the level of "pseudo" to "sex" through the relevant statements of the sage "sexual pseudo-union", while "Sexual Evil" in addition to emphasizing "pseudo- to "sexual" also points out some of the roles of "sex" in promoting "pseudo-". "Sexual Evil" has a more comprehensive understanding of the practical connection between "sex" and "pseudo" than the "Treatise on Etiquette", which is a mature stage of the theory of "sex" and "pseudo" relationship.

Above, Xunzi emphasizes the "distinction between sexual pseudo-sex" at the "name" level, and emphasizes "sexual pseudo-union" at the practical level, reflecting the flexibility of its "name". It is precisely because of this that the "sexual" and "pseudo" relationship theory in "Sexual Evil" has the structural characteristics of dialectical coordination.

(ii) Mortal nature "its nature is one"

Xun Zi denies in Sexual Evil that there is a difference between saints and the masses in terms of human nature, arguing that "the reason why saints are the same as the multitude is that they are not different from the multitude, and sex is also; therefore, those who are different from the multitude are pseudo-also"[2]424. The implication is that the extraordinary qualities and outstanding achievements of the saints are due to the efforts of the day after tomorrow, and belong to the category of "pseudo", not the differences in "sex". On the basis of the "distinction between sexuality and falsehood", Xunzi further pointed out that "the nature of mortals, Yao, Shunzhi and Jie, and Metatarsal, their sex is also one; the gentleman and the villain, their sex is also one"[2]427. In the world's usual perception, there is a difference in virtue between Yao Shun and Jie, gentleman and villain, and Xunzi believes that this distinction does not exist based on "sex". However, this not only contradicts xunzi's content of "sex", "good profit" and "disease", but also conflicts with the corrective human nature of "sexual hypocrisy" in order to obtain etiquette. Because there is a difference between a gentleman (a saint) and a villain in terms of whether they are "sick and evil" and in what direction, and in the order of the stages of "transformation", these cannot be said to be differences in "sex".

"Sex" is not unrelated to whether a person can be good and attain virtue. According to the line of thought in "Sexual Evil", the content of human nature has both a positive role in promoting people's shaping of virtue and a negative obstacle. Xun Zi's statement that "the desire of mortals is good, and the desire of sex is also evil"[2]425 is intended to show that man's desire for good can be reduced to a certain extent to the psychology of "good and profit". Man's "desire for profit" will cause him to have a state of mind that he is deficient in "goodness", and then put into the action of "learning and seeking to have"[2]425. As for the matter of "wanting to be good", the meaning of "good profit" and "disease" in human nature can be said to be diametrically opposed. As mentioned above, "good profit" can still stimulate and promote people's goodness, but the role of "disease and evil" is completely negative. When a person sees a virtuous other, if he is merely out of "evil," he will only lead himself to jealousy and harm the virtuous, and will not be able to attain the same qualities as the virtuous.

Based on the above analysis, the author believes that the saints may still retain the innate "good profit" ("good profit" to an appropriate extent). Even if it is no longer necessary to stimulate oneself to "seek outside" through "good profit" because it has reached the state of moral perfection, it still needs the desire to seek profit in the sense of "reasonableness" such as "benefiting the world". But in any case, the saints cannot retain the nature of "evil". For saints and even for virtuous people in general, their sexual "diseases" are unimaginable. In the process of the saint's initial "transformation of nature" against himself, the innate "goodness" is guided and restrained, and the "evil" nature is eventually erased.

If we examine only "sex" itself in isolation, then there is no difference between the essence of "saints" and ordinary people's "sex", and there are all unattended functions, sensual desires, and general likes and dislikes; but if we look at the factors that affect moral judgment, there is a special difference between the "sex" of "Yao Shunzhi and Jiezhi" and "Gentleman and Villain". Yao Shun and the gentleman made their "good profits" meet the requirements of the "Tao" through the efforts of "transformation", and at the same time eliminated the "diseases and evils". These distinctions are only "traits" in terms of "sex" per se, but they are decisive in determining whether a person has virtue and the difference between virtues between people. Xun Zi's view that "Yao Shunzhi and Jie Shu are one in nature; gentlemen and villains, their sex is also one"[2]427 is true in terms of the general content and essential connotation of human nature, but ignores the special distinction between human nature in the day after tomorrow and its key significance for judging whether a person is virtuous or not. Xun Ziqi said that it was special in general obscurity.

Xun Zi's above misjudgment is not accidental, but related to the limitations of his famous science. One of the important backgrounds of Xunzi's famous science is that "the holy king of the present day is not there, the name is slow, the strange words are raised, the name is chaotic, and the shape of right and wrong is unknown"[2]401. The so-called "strange words" to "chaos in name" are mainly named and inked. In order to compete with this, Xunzi put forward his own doctrine of "correct name" and "use of names" norms in "Correct Names". Judging from the results, Xunzi Mingxue corrected the narrowness of the previous famous science, and at the same time, new problems arose.

Xunzi determines what is the "reality" (substantive aspect) of things through the dichotomy of form and reality, and uses this as the main basis for correcting names and determining words. Here, "name" is about the name and concept of things, and "word" is a proposition and judgment ("the word is also the name of the word, and the name of the different reality is also the meaning of one"[2]409). As an analytical method, although the "audit real fixed number" helps to distinguish the substantive and non-substantive aspects of things and then accurately follow the "real" and "name", the "real" (substantive aspect) promoted by this method is not suitable as the only criterion in the process of forming the "word". Take, for example, the problem of "sexual" similarities and differences between gentlemen and villains. There is no difference between a gentleman and a villain in the essence of "sex", but there is a difference in non-substance aspects ("good" and "evil"), and it is precisely the latter that determines whether a person has virtue or not, and the "sex" of a gentleman and a villain is similar or different. In this case, it is the "state" of "sex" rather than "reality" that should be used as the basis of the definite word.

Looking for its roots, Xunzi's thinking tendency to emphasize "reality" and light "likeness" in the process of determining words can be understood as the result of the use of the principle of "correcting the name with reality" on the one hand, and he will transfer the principle of correct names centered on "reality" to the method of determining words without flexibility; on the other hand, it is related to the tendency of Xun Zi himself to emphasize the general and light on the special in the process of "different similarities and differences". The former is a defect in the theory of nomenclature itself, and the latter is a problem of theoretical "habits" caused by external practice. For example, in "Correct Names", Xunzi criticizes the saying that "killing thieves is not killing people" and "confusing names with chaotic names", while "Ma Fei Ma" is "confusing by using names to confuse reality"[2]407-408; In fact, Xunzi's criticism of the "three confusions" has a certain academic bias. In addition, he tends to give priority to affirming the "big one" between things rather than "small difference", and Xun Zi, who defends with Mingmo, is more inclined to "killing thieves is killing" and "white horses are horses". Under this dialectical tendency characterized by the imposition of certainty, "maintaining common sense" and "drifting into prejudice" are often on the line. This is also the background and important reason why Xunzi often tends to "same" when he "does not disagree".

The tendency of Xunzi to emphasize "reality" over "shape" and "other similarities" is actually a kind of thinking deviation, which will lead to gairanity mistakes in practice. For in the formation of propositional judgments ("words"), the subject of thought often needs to consider the meaning of the existence of the proposition both the essential and non-essential aspects of things, and which of the two is the decisive aspect of the proposition will depend on the proposition itself. If we blindly rely on the "reality" (substantive aspect) of things themselves as the basis for judgment, sometimes we will make mistakes in generalizations or even completely.

Conclusion

From the logical point of view of the creation of philosophical texts, there is first the thinker's understanding of "name", and then there are related philosophical propositions. Therefore, it is Xunzi Theory of Humanity that standardizes the expression of its theory of human nature, and the theory of Human nature of Xunzi presents the general characteristics of its theory of human nature. Specifically, Xunzi's new definition of "sex", "pseudo", and "transformation" provides a conceptual framework for the theory of human nature; its investigation method of dichotomy provides the main idea for the theory of human nature evolution. The content of the theory of human nature reflects the dual characteristics of Xunzi's name science flexibility and one-sidedness.

Xun Zi overcame the shortcomings of the previous debaters' theory of "harsh inspection and circumvention", became a famous school of its own, and introduced the relevant "correct name" results and "name" methods into the study of human nature. Although Xun Zi is limited to the one-sided thinking of emphasizing "reality" over "shape" in the method of determining "words", the rigor of his "correct name" and the flexibility of "using names" fully reflect the advanced level and progressive significance of his name science. As the result of the close integration of famous science and human nature, "Sexual Evil" has exemplary significance in many works of Xunzi and the era in which Xunzi lived. Xu Fuguan believes that one of Xunzi's major contributions was to "make Confucian ethics and morality completely objective, and quite manifest the heart of human understanding, surpass the sophistry school of the Warring States era, and open up the end of normal theory"[3]235. This statement is to the point.

exegesis

Lü Miaojun summarized the different opinions of scholars on the theory of Xunzi's human nature into seven types. See Lü Miaojun, "Seven Interpretations of Xunzi's Theory of Human Nature," China Social Science Daily, February 6, 2017, 4th edition.

"Sexual Evil" was written by Xun Zi, and there is no big doubt. See Liao Mingchun, "The Special Usage of the Words "Pseudo" and "Qi" in the Book of "Xunzi", Journal of Handan University, No. 1, 2017; Li Rui, "Studies on the Introduction of Mencius and Chapters of Xunzi Sexual Evil", Journal of Handan University, No. 1, 2019.

The research ideas of each person are largely related to their position on the nature of the book "Xunzi". Sato introduced "five views on whether the book "Xunzi" represents the thought of Xunzi himself at home and abroad, which can be used as a reference. See Shoji Sato, "Participating in the Rule of Heaven and Earth: The Origin and Structure of Xunzi Lizhi's Political Thought," National Taiwan University Press Center, 2016, pp. 37-45.

For example, "Righteous Names" divides the distinction between saints and gentlemen, and the words of gentlemen and fools; "Sexual Evil" divides the knowledge of saints, gentlemen, villains, and servants, and the upper, middle, and lower courage. For details, see Wang Xianqian, Shen Xiaohuan, Wang Xingxian Dianxue: Xunzi Jijie, Zhonghua Bookstore, 2012 edition, pp. 410-413, 430-433. The following quotation "Xun ZiJiJi" only notes the title and page number.

For example, "Correct Name" says that gentlemen should be cautious with "nonsense", and "Sexual Evil" emphasizes that people must "choose good friends and friends" in order to advance to goodness. For details, see Xun ZiJi, pp. 419, 434.

The base is "born of the sum of sexes". Wang Xianqian said: "'Born of the sum of sex' is regarded as 'born of the sum of births'." This word 'sheng' is the same as the previous 'shengzhi', which is also called life. The two 'said sex' are compatible, and the reason why the birth is called sex, and the one who is born without doing things is called sex, and the meaning of the text is very clear. If the cloud 'does not do what sex does and the natural one calls it sex', then there is no word. According to the king, this was changed. See Xun ZiJi, p. 399.

See Liao Mingchun, "The Author and Era of the "Pseudo" Character Meaning of "Xunzi"", Journal of Linyi University, No. 6, 2015.

See Zeng Zhaoshi, "On the Types and Rules of the Logic of Xunzi Zhengming", Henan Social Science, No. 9, 2015.

Sun Yirang advocated the sentence "There are cows and horses, not horses". If this is the case, then the "non-truth" that precedes this sentence is difficult to understand and is not followed now. When one from the old book "Ma Fei Ma". See Sun Yirang: Volume VI of the Zha Qi, The Twenty-first Year of Qing Guangxu Cheng Erxing explains that "ma is not a horse": "That is, it is 'horse' and not 'horse', or it is called 'horse' for something that is not a 'horse'. "You can say it. See Cheng Erxing, "Xunzi's Theory of Nomenclature and Its "Three Confusions with Names"," Collected Treatises on Pre-Qin and Han Chinese Literature, June 2004, p. 168.

See Zhou Yunzhi, "On the Theoretical Value and Academic Bias of the Basic Content of Xunzi's "Three Confusions" Theory", Jianghan Forum, No. 12, 1988.

bibliography

Wu Feibai. Ancient Chinese Sayings[M].Chengdu:Sichuan University Press,2009.]

Wang Xianqian. Xun Ziji Solution[M].Shen Xiaohuan, Wang Xingxian, Dian School.Beijing:Zhonghua Bookstore,2012.

Li Weiwu, editor-in-chief. Xu Fuguan Anthology: Volume III[M].Wuhan:Hubei People's Publishing House,2002.]

Source: Central Plains Cultural Studies, No. 3, 2021