| Since the Spring and Autumn Period, philosophershave put forwarddifferent theories of run the country well and ensure national security based on their respective social experience, academic background and social status, it may be said "let a hundred schools of thought contend". In the middle and later stage of Warring States, thethought of philosophers gradually appeared the trend of consistency, which from "discrepancy" to "resonance". The ideologyconvergence of The Book of Master Xun and The Book of Master Guan reflected the trend to consisitency in the period of Warring States.The concern of The Book of Master Xun and The Book of Master Guan was different which respectively presented as Heaven and the Way. Heaven is one of the coreconcepts of Confucianism. In the system of Confucianism, Heaven is not only the source among the creatures of the world but also the basis of human conduct in the world. Taoism, which is concerned with ritual worship of The Way, the source and essence of Taoist thought.After the transformation on former natural law and the ones of their own by The Book of Master Xun and The Book of Master Guan, made materialism applied in both natural law with the consistency characteristic and laid the logical and theoretical foundation of convergence trend for Confucianism and Taoism.The Book of Master Xun and The Book of Master Guan on the theory of human nature gradually tended to be consistent. The Book of Master Xun declared that human nature is originally evil under the premise of admitting that men pursue innate desires. The so-called the evil of human nature means excessive desire. TheBook of Master Xun set forth the thought of "the divides of nature and morals",namely, even though human nature is evil, anyone has the nature of goodness. The evil of human nature would turn into humanity through cultivating in later ages. The Book of Master Guan suggested that there was no criteria whether the human nature was good or evil, and man pursue innate desires. The Book of Master Guan, onone hand, believed that the desire of human required to be guided, on the other hand, it needed continence. If one indulges in sensual pleasures, which will cause damages to society and our country. Therefore, The Book of Master Guan put forwardthe theory of human nature with the character of seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages and also the idea of guiding a matter along its course of development. In a word, both The Book of Master Xun and The Book of Master Guan took desire as the main content of human nature as well as continence concerned.The Book of Master Xun and The Book of Master Guanfinally reached a consensus on law and rites. On the surface, the relationship between law and rites of The Book of Master Xun put rites as its core, and law being in a subordinate position while as for The Book of Master Guan, held the opposite. However, the rites of The Book of Master Xun contained one more meaning: Li is not only a tool whichcan refine manners of people, but also needs mandatory requirement.This kind of mandatory is characteristic of law. Therefore, with respect to the relationship of law and rites, The Book of Master Xun and The Book of Master Guanhave similarities in essence, that is to say both law and rites point at mandatory“law”.The Book of Master Xun and The Book of Master Guanbelong to two completely different ideology:The Book of Master Xun attached to Confucianism as The Book of Master GuanTaoist thought system. However, during the Warring States period, The Book of Master Xun and The Book of Master Guan regarded dersire as the main cantent of human nature and recognized man's innate desire, in addition, advocated the guidance of desire in terms of the theory of human nature after the succession and development of Confucianism and Taoist thought system. As the relationship between law and rites, The Book of Master Xun and The Book of Master Guan reached a consensus, which means both finally pointed to the mandatory "law". |
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