Research On Ideas About Xunzi In Qin And Han Dynasties

Introduction included study situation, the reason for selecting this topic, researching content and researching methods.Whether opposed or supported, Xunzi was regarded as Confucian by the people of Qin and Han Dynasties. The views laid the basis for later generations who evaluated Xunzi.Because ideas about natural sky in Xunzi were destructive not only to the scholars who wanted to prevent monopoly and abuse of power, but also to ruling class who wanted to maintain social stability, the ideas, which deconstructed metaphysical beliefs of people, neither accepted by intellectuals nor ruling class in Han Dynasty. But some people still accepted some ideas about natural sky of Xunzi, such as WangChong. As Xunzi, WangChong believed that the sky had no will, strange phenomena were not command of God, sacrifice ritual and divination were just such educating ways as encouraging people to do good, but not to do evil. However, ideas of WangChong were deeper than of Xunzi. WangChong believed that the fate of people was controlled by looks of people and stars in sky. Xunzi didn't think so.HanFei believed that everyone was selfish. Such idea had some relevance to human-nature -idea of Xunzi. But Xunzi still believed that people had good nature, which denied by HanFei. Most scholars in Han Dynasty thought that some people had good nature, some people had evil nature. Most of them misunderstood the human-nature-idea of Xunzi. Only DongZhongshu defined what was human nature and what was good at first. Then he discussed what kind of nature of general people. But his theory still has defects. In fact, Mencius and Xunzi both recognized that everyone had good and evil nature, and evil nature was more powerful than good nature. But only good potential was treated as human nature by Mencius, and evil potential was treated as human nature by Xunzi. Xunzi believed that people gained good character through education in the youth. Such idea is more realistic for growth process of individual. Mencius believed that people developed good character by themselves. Such idea is more realistic for growth process of Human-being.In the eyes of Xunzi, Confucian was the best learning in the world, so he advocated other learning should be eliminated. This idea inspired the cultural tyranny thought of HanFei and LiSi. But Han and Li advocated eliminating Confucian. Through thinking after practice, and practice after thinking, Han Dynasty believed that Confucian was the best method of governing the country. Such idea originated in Xunzi in fact. Although Xunzi attached great importance to the classics of Confucian, he severely criticized those people who only recited and explanated classics. He advocated that the spirit of classics must be put into cultivating good moral and governing the country. Such idea of Xunzi was put into practice by a branch of Confucian in Han Dynasty.There was close relationship between Xunzi and The School of Poetry of Lu. The School of Poetry of Han abandoned the ideas of Xunzi, which advocated learning from contemporary kings, simplifying The Book of Songs, and criticizing the idea of Five Elements of Mencius. The Schools of Poetry of Han also supported that human nature must be good. In fact, HanYing was a pioneer of Philosophy of Sung Ming Dynastie when he criticized Xunzi. Many poems in Xunzi were replaced with other poems when HanyYing quoted the ideas of Xunzi. As Xunzi, The School of Poetry of Mao interpreted poems from a political view. But when interpreting specific poem, Xiaoxu and Maozhuan were not closely related to Xunzi.Both of The Book of Rites, Records of the History, Baihutongyi and other books integrated ideas of rite in Xunzi. This phenomenon shows that such ideas of Xunzi were very important for people of Han Dynasty. On the other hand, it shows that Confucianism was revitalized in Han Dynasty.The word of law in Xunzi included a variety of meanings, such as regulations, system, laws, which mean no strong force. But the word of crucifixion in Xunzi mean mandatory. In the eyes of Xunzi, Law and crucifixion were very necessary methods for governing the country. But these methods must be under the control of mercifulness, equity, justice, which promoted actively by Confucianism. So efficiency and humanism were emphasized compatibly in his ideas. Development of legal thought and practice in Han Dynasty reflected such spirit of Xunzi.