Research On Xunzi's Poetry And Music Thoughts And His Practical Activities

In the history of ancient Chinese theory and literary, Xunzi is undoubtedly a master of character. As part of his academic thought, his theory and practice about poetry and music occupies an important position in ancient Chinese literature and literary theory. However, because of the long-term effects by the ideological trend of respecting Mencius and crying down Xunzi, the research of Xunzi's theory and practice of poetry and music lags far behind with Confucius and Mencius. Based on the study on Xunzi's basic principles of"Born in Heaven, Completed by Man", this paper analyzes Xunzi's poetry and music creation theory, aesthetic ideal theory, function theory as well as his literary works including Cheng Xiang , Fu and quoting Odes. In addition, the paper investigates the contents and characteristics of Xunzi's theory and practice about poetry and music. Finally, the paper gives a summary of it.The dissertation is divided into there parts which including eight chapters and a conclusion:The background, theory origin and philosophical foundation of Xunzi's theory and practice about poetry and music are discussed in the upper part,:A textual research about Xunzi's life and his works is made in Chapter One. We think that the hometown of Xunzi is not Linyi but Anze. He was called Sun Qing because of Xun and Sun have the same pronunciation in the past. When he was fifty years old, Xunzi started his study tour in the country of Qi. He came to Qin, studied in Qi, and later was given an administrative post by the southern state of Chu. Then he talked about military with Xiaocheng, the king of Zhao. Then he Finished his book and died in Lanling county. His theory is born in the special economic, political and academic environments in Warring States Period. Xun Zi's theory about "human nature is evil" is the product of a specific historical period. He is an integrator of the pre-Qin theory. Xunzi is his own work except several chapters and Yueji plagiarized Xunzi's Yuelun.Chapter two discussed the theory origin of Xunzi's theory and practice about poetry and music. Xunzi absorbed the theory of poetry and music in Shangshu, Zhouli, Zuozhuan and Guoyu and other books. He absorbed beneficial thoughts from the school of Confucian, Taoism, Mohism and legalism. Guodian bamboo slips and Shanghai Museum bamboo slips are the direct source of Xunzis's poetry and music theory.Chapter three discusses the philosophical foundation of Xunzi's theory and practice about poetry and music. The idea "born in heaven, completed by man" is Xunzi's basic principle. "Born in heaven" says that the heaven is only the genesis of everything, "completed by man" says that all the cultural achievements of mankind are not God-given, but people - the "artifice"伪results. Xunzi used Laozi's point of view "the heaven without will" to correct Confucianism and Mohist's "dominated heaven", and overcame the Taoist "shelter in the heaven and I do not know man" theory. On this basis, Xunzi attaches great importance to people's active role, paid much attention to the role of rituals and duty. The essence of his "human nature is evil" theory is that human nature is just innate and natural. He hopes that human can transform nature by their "hearts". Xunzi considers "nurturing of humanities" as the cause and the theoretical aim of poetry and music production.The middle part mainly analyzes the main contents of Xunzi's poetry and music theory, including Xunzi's poetry and music creation theory, aesthetic ideal theory and function theory:Chapter Four concentrates on the occurrence of Xunzi poetry and music creative theory. Xunzi explained the occurrence of poetry and music from the perspective of human nature and human emotion. He thought that emotion is the source of poetry and music. In poetry and music creation theory, Xunzi puts forward the principle of "Demonstrating Tao", "Ancestor Scripture", "Revering the Classics".This theory is the first voice of "Demonstrating Ideal through Writing" in the history of Chinese literary criticism. From the thoughts of combining affection and reason, the "empty, unity and silence" theory and "the musical image" theory, Xunzi described the thinking process of writing systematically. Xunzi's theory of "Emotion and language" and "write according to emotion" are the beginning of talking about "emotion" and "language " in Chinese literary criticism.The fifth chapter expounds Xunzi's aesthetic ideal about poetry and music. Xunzi inherited and developed the "Neutralization and Harmony " thoughts in Confucius, Mencius, and ZuoZhuan. He endowed "neutralization" with special contents, the way of rites and morality. Xunzi considered "Beauty of Neutralization and Harmony" as his aesthetic ideal, and it affects the tradition of "being gentle, kind, honest and sincere" and " beginning with affection, ending with and rites and morality " after Han Dynasty. Xunzi drew on previous ideas about the true, the good and the beautiful, proposed the point of view about " harmony in ritual and good " and " incomplete and not pure enough can not be called beauty " .Starting with the relationship between rites and music, chapter six concentrates on Xunzi's theory about the function of poetry and music. Xunzi distinguished the different characteristics and functions between rites and music. He believed that a mandatory ritual embodies the principle of "division" and "difference", whereas music embodies harmonious spirits. From a pragmatic point of view, he thought that poetry and music play a huge role in transforming human nature, self-cultivation, national unity and social stability.The last part emphasizes Xunzi's practical activities under the guidance of his poetry and music theory, including his works and Odes-quoting.The seventh chapter optimistics in two literary works of Xunzi. Cheng Xiang is the ancestor of Chinese talk and sing literature, it influenced Yuefu in the Han Dynasty, the Bianwen of Tang Dynasty, scripts for fiction of Song Dynasty, Tang-Song Ci and talk and sing literature deeply. In the history of Fu, Xunzi is the one who first naming Fu, and thus he is the master of it. He often used assumed dialogues to described one thing or stated his views. As ritual philosophy his Fu's program, Xunzi used the techniques of narration in bold detail throughout his works and all of these influenced Han Fu deeply.Chapter eight focuses on the Xunzi's Odes-quoting phenomenon. It expounds the theory of Xunzi's annotation on Confucian classics. Xunzi inherited the tradition of " Narrating, Not Creating", and he is the key of connecting Confucian classics of the Han Dynasty with Pre-Qin academy. Odes-quoting phenomenon implicated the progress of "six books explain me and i explain six books". Xunzi's purpose of quote Odes is "proving reason with Odes", so it has a strong purpose. Based on this theory, his classics annotation of events also has a strong practical character.The conclusion is the full text of the summary. Xunzi thought that heaven and human nature are negative, only the outer rites and morality can transform it. As a part of it, poetry and music play a great role in this transforming. So all of his theory are pointing to practical purposes. Pragmatism is the main characteristic of Xunzi's theory.