Chapter 33 3. Xunzi: Goodness can overcome evil

Xunzi's claim is to divide human nature into two halves. Which two halves? Half of it is called sex, and the other half is called fake. What is sex?The reason for life is called nature.What is fake?What can be learned can be accomplished, and things can be accomplished. If it is not in the sky but in people, it is called false.In other words, what is natural is called sex, and what is man-made is called fake. It is very clear that sex is the natural attribute of human beings; falsehood is the social attribute of human beings.Added up, it is equivalent to what we call human nature today.According to Xunzi, this is called "the distinction between nature and hypocrisy".

What's the point of such a distinction? Solve the problem of good and evil. How to solve it? Evil comes from nature, and goodness comes from hypocrisy; sex is evil, and hypocrisy is good. Nature is evil, hypocrisy is good, this is really wise. So we finally know where the benevolence, righteousness and morality advocated by Confucianism, including the benevolent heart advocated by Mencius, come from.According to Xunzi, it is educated, nurtured, and transformed.Therefore, goodness is social.Sex before education, edification, and transformation is evil. This is Xunzi's "evil nature theory".

That is to say, Xunzi advocated that human nature is evil, not that human nature is evil, let alone that human nature is inherently evil, but that human nature is evil.As for the social attribute, it is still good, it must be good, it can only be good. Therefore, Mencius' theory of human nature is "human nature tends to be good", not "human nature is inherently good".Xunzi's theory of human nature is also "human nature is evil", not "human nature is inherently evil".The original evil is Han Fei's idea, not Xunzi's. What is the difference between evil and evil?

If human nature is not regarded as inherently evil, there is still hope.Because apart from sex, there is hypocrisy in human nature.When sex overcomes hypocrisy, one is a wicked person; when hypocrisy overcomes sex, one is a good person.Whether a person is good or evil depends on whether you choose sex or hypocrisy. So, can pseudonym overcome sex? can.Because sex belongs to nature and pseudo belongs to human beings.Man's determination to conquer nature includes defeating evil nature and natural evil. This is called "changing nature and making false". What does it mean to be fake?

Transformation means transformation.To arise means to rise up.Changing nature means transforming nature.To be hypocritical is to have a kind heart.In other words, it is to use human sociality to transform human animality and nature.This is completely consistent with Xunzi's worldview.His theory of heaven and man are also highly unified. Xunzi's optimism is not without reason. Therefore, Xunzi advocated that human beings act for themselves and gentlemen strive for self-improvement.He also came to the same conclusion as Mencius, saying that "a man of Tu can be Yu".In other words, any ordinary person can become a noble person, a pure person, and a person who is free from vulgar tastes, as long as he "transforms his nature and becomes false."

Isn't this the same as Mencius? In fact, both Mencius and Xunzi agree that human nature is the basis of morality, both believe that human sociality is good, and both recognize that human society has two possibilities, good and evil.The only difference is that Mencius paid more attention to the tendency of goodness, regarded it as water, and advocated guidance; Xunzi paid more attention to the possibility of evil, regarded it as fire, and advocated prevention.What is the result?It was Mencius who emphasized benevolence and righteousness, and Xunzi who emphasized ritual and music. They inherited Confucius from different directions.

But therein lies the difference. According to Mencius' viewpoint and logic, although a person's inner world is not inherently good, it tends to be good, as long as it is guided and maintained.Therefore, ideological education is effective, and it is also feasible to rule the country with virtue. Therefore, Mencius is often regarded as the authentic Confucian. He tirelessly talked about love, benevolent government, kingship, and held training courses for kings, hoping to right the world through the king. This is also the reason. Xunzi didn't think it was that simple.For him, the evil in human nature is congenital and innate.This cannot rely on guidance, but on prevention, reform, and suppression. It is simply a battle.

This is a task that only a saint can accomplish. Xunzi said so.He told us that the sage knows that human nature is evil, so he established the monarchy to rule, clarified rituals and righteousness to educate, formulated laws to govern, and increased punishment to prohibit crimes, so that the world will be "out of rule." , in harmony with goodness".Monarchy, propriety and righteousness, laws and punishments are the means to change nature and make falsehood, and the way to rule the world. Here, we clearly see the shadow of the Legalists, and the idea of ​​autocratic centralization is even more imminent.Therefore, it is not surprising that the student of the last Confucian master in the pre-Qin period turned out to be a master of Legalism.

As we all know, this student is Han Fei.

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