A Study On Xunzi's Ethical Thoughts

As one of the masters of the early Confucianism in the age of pre-Chin Dynasty, Xunzi's thoughts exercised a tremendous influence over his contemporaries and later Confucians. This dissertation is a new study on Xunzi's ethical thoughts from a perspective of virtue ethics.This dissertation consists of eight parts in all. The purpose and some important factors of this study are presented in the Introduction. ChapterⅠ(The Problem of the Indispensability of Morality in Xunzi's Ethics) discusses the character of Xunzi's ethics. ChapterⅡ(Virtue and the Evilness of Human Nature: The Construction of Xunzi's Moral Foundation——a Perspective of Virtue Ethics) discusses the problem Why one person with the evilness of human nature is able to achieve virtues by himself/herself. ChapterⅢ(Rightness is Foremost: On Moral Virtues in Xunzi's Ethics) discusses those moral virtues in Xunzi's ethics such as humanity, rightness and ritual. ChapterⅣ(Learning to be a saint: On Intellectual Virtues in Xunzi's Ethics) discusses those intellectual virtue in Xunzi's ethics such as intellect, learning and saint. ChapterⅤ(To Be a Junzi by Playing and Appreciating Music: On Moral Emotions in Xunzi's Ethics) discusses the theory of cultivating virtues by playing and appreciating music in Xunzi's ethics. ChapterⅥ(Cultivating Mind and Cultivating Virtues: The Problem of Spiritual Exercises in Xunzi's Ethics) discusses the theory of cultivating & exercising tempermament in Xunzi's Ethics. At the end of this dissertation, the author confirms the Conclusion that Xunzi's Ethical thought was a great model in the early Confucianism.By introducing the prospective of virtue ethics into the study, this dissertation analyzes Xunzi's major concepts and scrutinizes plentiful original texts. Basing on these clarifications, the dissertation demonstrates the major ideas of Xunzi's ethical thought.