"An Exhortation to Learning"

1. Comment: This brief essay is surprisingly deep and subtle. It expresses many of Xunzi's central beliefs. Be careful not to read it hastily or carelessly. N. 1 on p. 248 points out the similarity between Gaozi's metaphors in Mengzi 6A1-2 and the ones that Xunzi uses in this essay. How do you think Xunzi would respond to the arguments that Mengzi gives against Gaozi in 6A1 and following passages from the Mengzi?

 

2. "To pursue [learning] is to be human, to give it up is to be a beast" (p. 250). Compare this with what Xunzi says in "Against Physiognomy," p. 257, and "The Regulations of a True King," pp. 258-59. Paraphrase, in your own words, what Xunzi is saying in these passages. Would Mengzi agree? (Cf. Mengzi 2A6 and 4B19.) Do you agree with what Xunzi is saying here?

 

3. "The learning of the petty person enters through his ears and passes out his mouth" (p. 250). Paraphrase, in your own words, what Xunzi is saying here. How does the learning of the gentleman differ from that of the "petty person"?

 

4. "Thus, in learning there is nothing more expedient than to draw near to the right person" (p. 251). What does Xunzi mean by "drawing near" the "right person"? Why, according to him, is it important in learning to do this? (Cf. "The teacher is that by which to correct your practice of ritual" [p. 256].)

 

5. "Learning is precisely learning to pursue [benevolence and righteousness] single-mindedly" (p. 252). (Cf. the definition of "teaching" on p. 254.) Is this the same as the goal of learning at your high school, college, or university? If the goal of learning at your school is different, why is it different? In particular, how does the goal of learning at your school reflect a view of human nature or human life different from that of Xunzi?

 

 

"Cultivating Oneself"

6. Xunzi discusses several "methods for controlling the qi and nourishing the heart" (p. 255). (See "qi" and "xin," heart, in the "Important Terms" appendix for explanations of these key terms.) Xunzi's comments on this topic are very terse. Try to explain, in your own words, what behavior or mindset Xunzi recommends to combat each deficiency he addresses. (For example, what should one do to overcome "vulgarness and dissoluteness"?) Do you think Xunzi's methods would be effective?

 

7. "The gentleman makes things his servants. The petty man is servant to things" (p. 255). Explain this in your own words.

 

8. Explain, in your own words, the differences between the "man of good breeding," "gentleman," and "sage" (p. 256).

 

9. "If you do not concur with your teacher and the proper model but instead like to use your own judgment, then this is like relying on a blind person to distinguish colors, or like relying on a deaf person to distinguish sounds" (p. 256). What view of human nature does this comment suggest? (Compare what Xunzi says in "Human Nature Is Bad.") Would Mengzi agree completely with Xunzi's statement here? Why or why not? (Cf. Mengzi 7A15.)

 

10. Different ethical systems emphasize different vices: pride, sin, selfishness, ignorance, inauthenticity, etc. What vice or vices does Xunzi emphasize overcoming? If you know something about other ethical systems, how does Xunzi's view of the key vice(s) contrast with their views?

 

 

"The Regulations of a True King"

11. The opening passage in the selection from this essay (p. 258-59) is one of the most discussed passages in the Xunzi. Here, Xunzi gives a hierarchy of entities. Explain in your own words what kinds of entities are at each level in the hierarchy, and what distinguishes them from those above and those below them. (The relevant property of qi here may be its tendency to move spontaneously -- like water flowing downhill [Mengzi 6A2].) Some have argued that this passage is inconsistent with the view of human nature that Xunzi expounds in "Human Nature Is Bad," because the conception of yi, in this passage is close to that of Mengzi. How might this passage be seen as consistent with Xunzi's overall view of human nature? Hint: Why has the translator rendered yi here as "standards of righteousness"?

 

12. (For more on this issue, see Donald J. Munro, "A Villain in the Xunzi," in Philip J. Ivanhoe, ed., Chinese Language, Thought, and Culture [Chicago: Open Court Press, 1996], and Eric Hutton, "Does Xunzi Have a Consistent Theory of Human Nature?" in T.C. Kline and Philip J. Ivanhoe, eds., Virtue, Nature, and Moral Agency in the Xunzi [Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 2000], pp. 220-36.)

 

13. "The true ruler is one who is good at forming a community" (p. 259). This brief sentence expresses a notion central to Xunzi's thought. What does Xunzi mean by "forming a community"? What benefits come from forming a community? (Hint: According to Xunzi, what would it be like, and what would the consequences be, if there were no community of humans?)

 

14. How does Xunzi think we should treat our natural environment (pp. 259-60)? Does Xunzi have a purely "instrumental" attitude toward the natural environment? (Cf. his views here with those in "Discourse on Heaven.") Does Xunzi's hierarchical view of reality (cf. p. 258) support or contradict his environmental views? If you are familiar with contemporary environmentalist views, discuss how Xunzi's do (or don't) coincide with them.

 

 

"Discourse on Ritual"

15. Note 32 on p. 265 asks you to compare the opening of this essay with the opening of the Mohist "Obeying One's Superior" (pp. 60-61). Both passages seem to use a sort of "state of nature" argument to justify certain institutions. (See the discussion questions on the Mozi for an explanation of "state of nature.") However, the arguments are different in important respects. What is the cause of the disorder according to each account? What is the cure for the disorder according to each account?

 

16. "From what did ritual arise? I say: Humans are born having desires" (p. 265). Explain, in your own words, what Xunzi means by this.

 

17. "And so, the Confucians are those who will cause people to gain twice as much, and the Mohists are those who will cause people to lose twice as much" (p. 266). Why does Xunzi believe that this is true? Is his view on this point plausible? Why or why not?

 

18. Xunzi contrasts "standardless commoners," "men of standards," those who are "able to deliberate," and those who are "able to be firm" (pp. 267-8). Is this consistent with his hierarchy of types of people in "Cultivating Oneself," p. 256?

 

19. "In every case, ritual begins in that which must be released, reaches full development in giving it proper form, and finishes in providing it satisfaction" (p. 266). If you fully understand this statement, you will understand Xunzi's view on the importance of ritual. What kind or thing "must be released," reach "full development," and be provided "satisfaction"? (Hint: This needs to be understood in light of the examples he gives later in this essay.)

 

20. The verses on pp. 266-7 say some surprising things about ritual. Would Kongzi or Mengzi conceive of ritual in this way? (For Kongzi's views on ritual, see Analects, Book Three, and also Analects 12.1.) Is Xunzi speaking literally or metaphorically in this passage?

 

21. "Among all the living things between Heaven and earth, those that have blood and qi are sure to have awareness, and of those that have awareness, none does not love its own kind. É Thus, among the creatures that have blood and qi, none has greater awareness than man, and so man's feeling for his parents knows no limit until the day they die" (p. 270-1). How might this passage be seen as contradicting Xunzi's views on human nature in other passages (e.g., in "Human Nature Is Bad")? Is there any way to reconcile this passage with the other parts of the Xunzi?

 

22. (Again, for a discussion of this issue, see the articles by Munro and Hutton, cited above in the comments for "The Regulations of a True King.")

 

23. In the contemporary United States, we are often taught that freely expressing one's feelings is good, while repressing one's feelings is bad. How is what Xunzi is recommending different from either the expression of raw feelings or the repression of one's feelings? (If you are familiar with the work of Freud, you may wish to explore the relevance of the notion of "sublimation" to Xunzi's account of ritual.) What would Xunzi say are some of the advantages of his own policy toward our feelings? To what extent do you agree or disagree with Xunzi on this point?

 

 

"Human Nature Is Bad"

24. "Thus, the difference between being able and being unable, on the one hand, and could and could not, on the other, is far indeed" (p. 291). Explain, in your own words, the distinction Xunzi makes between "being able" and "could." (Hint: Consider the following dialogue. A: "I'm not able to go on vacation right now. I'm too busy." B: "You could go on vacation. You're just unwilling to take time off.")

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