Xun Zi's Doctrine And The Tendency Of The Confucian Of Western Han Dynasty

From the aspect of the development of Confucianism, Confucianism was founded by Master Kong. Master Meng and Master Xun had made contributions to Confucianism in different ways. Master Meng mainly focused on the originality of Good, as well as the internal cognition of Good, and he created the philosophy of human nature and mind, which dedicated a lot of thoughts and ideas to the later Neo-Confucianism during the Song and Ming period and modern new-confucianism; Master Xun emphasized on the actualization and the generalization of Good. He valued the force for realizing Good, and established the Practical Confucianism, which produced far-reaching effects to Confucianism in Western Han Dynasty. The trend in Xun Zi's doctrine and Confucianism in Western Han Dynasty can be displayed from three aspects.Firstly, from the relationship of rite and law, Master Xun combined them together by criticizing and summarizing the rite and law of confucianist during the pre-Qin period. He explained Law by Rite by making Rite as the primary coverage and value orientation of Law. He made Rite absorbed by Law by using Law as the basic form and a realizing method of Rite. He advocated the codificaciones of law, and the development in Confucianism in the Western Han Dynasty responded the Xun Zi's doctrine. In the first place, confucianists in the early stage of Han Dynasty made Rite and Law return to Xun Zi's doctrine by criticizing Legalist School during the pre-Qin period and Huang-Lao School in early Han Dynasty. Legalist School in the pre-Qin period advocated penalty rather than rite and ceremony, this led the a short-lived Qin regime. Huang-Lao School together with Confucianism repudiated the severe system of punishment of Legalist School., but Huang-Lao School claimed the conventionalism of former system, and also suggested that it should be handled in the spirit of laissez-faire, so Huang-Lao School was unable to cope with the complex political problems. In this case, Confucianists in the early stage of Han Dynasty proposed redesigning the political system by Confucius's idea of Law and Rite and and the Master Xun's idea of law, and that was the ideal of making the law of Confucian authorized. In the second place, confucianists in the mid-Western han Dynasty achieved the alone-honored status and realized the construction of the rule of the rites, and highlighted the advantages to solve practical problems. Beyond that, they discussed the ways of active application. Thus, confucianists in the mid-Western Han Dynasty developed Xun Zi's thoughts. In the third place, with implementing and the deepening of the rules of the Rite in political life, its problems and defects were also exposed increasingly. Then the Meeting of Salt and Iron happened in the middle and later part of West Han Dynasty, it contemplated whether the rule of rites would be competent to the current political life and reflected the critical responses to Master Xun.Secondly, from the spirit of confucianists, On the basis of inheriting the spirit of orthodoxy, Master Xun advocated the Confucian spirit of governance and unified the two spirit. Xun Zi thought that the spirit of orthodoxy is to establish and maintain the unified and orderly law of the rites and political order, and only in the real political life, Confucianists was able to achieve their idea. The development in Confucianism in the Western Han Dynasty responded the Xun Zi's doctrine. On one hand, Confucianists in the early stage of Han Dynasty criticized that the officials of Qin lost the spirit of orthodoxy, and under the trend of uniting multi-ethnic entity, they inherited the Qin Dynasty's tradition of venerating officials as teachers and the spirit of governance, the unification of the two by them inherited the thought of Xun Zi. On the other hand, on the basis of sticking to the spirit of orthodoxy, the Western Han Dynasty Confucianists advocated the Confucian spirit of governance and gadually highlighted efficacy of Confucianism with the development of Xun Zi's doctrine. In this case, Confucian statecrafts finally achieved the dominant role in the respect of governance. Finally, when Confucianists in the mid-Western Han Dynasty prompted the spirit of orthodoxy, Confucian statecrafts was accoladed by the governors and scholars its efficacy. However, it resulted in spreading of the utilitarianism and decadency of the spirit of orthodoxy, and because it took efficacy as the standard, the Western Han Dynasty intellectual casted serious doubt on the Confucian statecrafts when it can not better contribute the contemporary political interests and administrative efficiency. So the Meeting of Salt and Iron examined the spirit of orthodoxy and the utilitarianism, and the reflection showed a critical response to Master Xun by the Western Han Dynasty Confucianism.Thirdly, from the relationship of nature and life, Master Xun believed that people's innate disposition and the actual material basis were not optional and avoidable. Xun Zi admitted their rationality, but also recognized the inherent contradiction of the two and the tendency of evil caused by the two. Therefore, the idea about grasping the mandate of Heaven and making use of it was presented by moralizing and regularizing the idea of the fate of Heaven, and this idea showcased both the mandate of Heaven and human nature eventually. The development in Confucianism in the Western Han Dynasty responded the Xun Zi's doctrine. In the first place, Confucianists in the early stage of Han Dynasty criticized the thought of Qin's legalists that man destroyed nature of Qin's legalists, and they claimed people's innate affection should be respected and reasonably satisfied. On the other hand, Confucianists in the early stage of Han Dynasty criticized the Huang-Lao School's thought of paying great attention to the Heaven but ignoring people's ability, and they thought that people should motivate the active function of people and the imperfect idea of Heaven needed critical guidance and regulation. Thus, Confucianists in the early stage of Han Dynasty inherited the thought of Xun Zi by proposing the idea of complementing the two opposing elements. In the second place, on the basis of Xun Zi's idea of grasping the mandate of Heaven and making use of it, Confucianists in the western Han Dynasty authorized the the mandate of heaven on the basis of Xun Zi's moralization and regularization of it. In the third place, for the inherent contradiction between people's innate affection and the material basis, for solving the contradiction Master Xun brought forward the thought of regularizing Heaven. But with the development of society and the growth of the material wealth, the lust of the people were gradually inflated, therefore the inherent contradiction existing in the Heaven was revealed once again. That being said, When the increasing material wealth could satisfy people's desire and needs in a given period of time, is it necessary to moderate the desire of man? Is it necessary to maintain rite and ceremony? The Meeting of Salt and Iron introspected these problems, and reflected the critical response to Master Xun of the Western Han Dynasty Confucianism.