Re-reading Xunzi's Theory of Human Nature as Evil and the Meaning of Ritual Propriety
Xunzi's Theory of Human Nature as Evil and Ritual Propriety: Philosophy that explains human nature and order in an easy way Practical philosophy learned through the case of the three-year mourning period; if you're curious about Xunzi's ideas
Xunzi, a thinker from China's Warring States period, explained that human nature is bad, but can be made proper through the power of education and norms. This article introduces his philosophy in an easytounderstand way, focusing on Xunzi's representative ideas of the theory that human nature is evil and of 'li.'
According to Xunzi, if people are left alone, they are likely to lean toward greed and conflict, so they must learn and practice the li created by the sages in order to move in a good direction. Li is the behavioral standard that each person should follow in their own role and position, and it is also understood as a mechanism for establishing a fair order.
The article also says that Xunzi saw learning not as simply knowing, but as something to be practiced in real life. Through examples such as the threeyear mourning period for one's parents, it explains Xunzi's idea that scholarship is completed only when what is learned is put into action.