Xunzi Slim Concept And Its Practical Significance

The confucian culture which has had far-reaching impacts to generation after generation of Chinese people is profound and extensive and with a long history behind of it.As the mainstream of traditional culture of our nation for two thousand years,the confucian culture has always advocated "self-cultivation","regulating the family","managing the nation","stabilizing the nation" and put "self-cultivation" on the most basic position.As a master of the thoughts of pre-Qin philosophers,Xunzi paied more attention to the cultivation of personal life.His article named Self-cultivation is the first article making the "self-cultivation" as the main content and being discussed specially in the history of ethics.How to behave is not only his discussing point but also the most characteristic part.This article which formulates the complete theory of "self-cultivation" and has extremely far-reaching implications includes the pincipled summary about how to behave and the specific exposition about demeanor.This article systematically studied the social background and basic theory of human nature about the theory of Xunzi'"self-cultivation";dug deeply the characteristics about the theory of Xunzi'self-cultivation" and mainly explained the referential significance of it to the current socialist moral construction.The first part of this article based on the reality of social conditions of the late Warring States completely expounded the background of formation of the theory of Xunzi'"self-cultivation" and discussed the theoretical origins of formation of the theory of Xunzi'"self-cultivation".The theory of Xunzi'"self-cultivation" was formed and developed by basing on reality as well as learning from their predecessors.Using the means of dialectical materialism and historical materialism,the second part of this article explored and analysed the characteristics about the theory of Xunzi'"self-cultivation". Taking the theory about "evil nature" as the base of human nature is the most fundamental and significant characteristic for the theory of Xunzi'"self-cultivation".At the same time,taking "ceremony" as the standard of "self-cultivation",Xunzi put forward a series of internal and external means for the ways of self-cultivation which have vivid characteristics.The theory of Xunzi'"self-cultivation" which is characteristic,rich,profound is the first systematic and complete expatiation about the theory of" self-cultivation" in the history of our nation.This laid the foundation for the fonnation and development of the future theory of "self-cultivation", which is far-reaching.However,because of the limitation of history and class,it is inevitable to have some negative feudal factors for the theory of Xunzi'"self-cultivation".The personal moral culture to which he paid more attention got away from the social condition at that time to some extent; ignored the differentiations of human being;lacked flexibility and deviated the practice of social life in order to adapt the social grade,so we should treat the theory of Xunzi'"self-cultivation" depending on dialectical and developmental view.The right attitude is to adopt the elite and dump the dross;integrate the Chinese realities and bring its positive function into play.The third part focused on the real inspiration of the theory of Xunzi'"self-cultivation".At present,our society is undergoing extensive and profound changes.The setting up and development of market economy has enriched material life of the people,but the limitation of market economy has led to weakening the moral conviction to some extent,which specifically manifest the loss of moral ideal,the confusion of moral idea,the diversification of the moral evaluation,moral split personality and the contortion of the relation of people.The emergences of these phenomenon in our country is due to that market economy depends on material things, enhances the material desires of people and materializes human being.These moral problems can not be resolved by market itself,but need the induction of socialist moral,and set up the criteria for the individual internal self-cultivation.Therefore we should reference positive factors of the theory of Xunzi'"self-cultivation" and set up a kind of right,healthy,positive and progressive theory of cultivation.This is helpful to the current socialist personal moral construction,which can provide important references for building a harmonious society.