Xunzi Human Nature

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S E L E C T I O N F R O M T H E X U N Z I : H U M A N N A T U R E I S E V I L Introduction Xunzi (Xun Qing, or Xun Kuang: c. 310-c. 219 BCE) lived at the very end of the Zhou dynasty. Like Mencius, he was an advocate and interpreter of the teachings of Confucius. Living a generation after Mencius, Xunzi lived through the final, brutal wars which ended with the state of Qin absorbing and unifying all the Chinese feudal states. Xunzi was a widely traveled scholar, teacher, and official. Document Excerpts with Questions (Longer selection follows this section) From Sources of Chinese Tradition, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom, 2nd ed., vol. 1 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999), 179-183. 1999 Columbia University Press. Reproduced with the permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

SelectionfromtheXunzi:HumanNatureIsEvil

Humannatureisevil:itsgoodnessderivesfromconsciousactivity.Nowitishumannaturetobebornwithafondnessforprofit.Indulgingthisleadstocontentionandstrife,andthesenseofmodestyandyieldingwithwhichonewasborndisappears.Oneisbornwithfeelingsofenvyandhate,and,byindulgingthese,oneisledintobanditryandtheft,sothatthesenseofloyaltyandgoodfaithwithwhichhewasborndisappears.Oneisbornwiththedesiresoftheearsandeyesandwitha fondness forbeautifulsightsandsounds,and,by indulging these,one is ledinto licentiousness and chaos, so that the sense of ritual, rightness, refinement, andprinciplewith which one was born is lost. Hence, following human nature and indulging humanemotionswillinevitablyleadtocontentionandstrife,causingonetorebelagainstonesproperduty,reduceprincipletochaos,andreverttoviolence.Thereforeonemustbetransformedbytheexampleofa teacherandguidedbythewayofritualandrightnessbeforeonewillattainmodestyandyielding,accordwithrefinementandritual,andreturntoorder.Aquestionerasks:Ifhumannatureisevil,thenwheredoritualandrightnesscomefrom?Ireply:ritualandrightnessarealwayscreatedbytheconsciousactivityofthesages;essentiallytheyarenotcreatedbyhumannature.Ifhumannatureweregood,wecoulddispensewiththesagekingsanddesistfromthepracticeofritualandrightness.Sincehumannatureisevil,wemustelevatethesagesandesteemritualandrightness.

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Questions:

1. How does Xunzis understanding of human nature compare to your own? 2. How does Xunzis understanding of human nature compare to that of

Mencius? Which do you prefer, and why? 3. Why might the two men, from the same background, both self-appointed

interpreters of Confucius, and only one generation apart, come up with their respective understandings of human nature?

4. What implications does Xunzis understanding of human nature have for family life and government?

Longer Select ion From Sources of Chinese Tradition, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom, 2nd ed., vol. 1 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999), 179-183. 1999 Columbia University Press. Reproduced with the permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

SelectionfromtheXunzi:HumanNatureIsEvil

Humannature isevil; itsgoodderivesfromconsciousactivity.Nowit ishumannaturetobebornwithafondnessforprofit. Indulgingthis leadstocontentionandstrife,andthesenseofmodestyandyieldingwithwhichonewasborndisappears.Oneisbornwithfeelingsofenvyandhate,and,byindulgingthese,oneisledintobanditryandtheft,sothatthesenseofloyaltyandgoodfaithwithwhichhewasborndisappears.Oneisbornwiththedesiresoftheearsandeyesandwithafondnessforbeautifulsightsandsounds,and,byindulgingthese,oneisledtolicentiousnessandchaos, so that the senseof ritual, rightness, refinement, andprinciplewithwhich onewas born is lost.Hence, following humannature and indulging human emotionswill inevitably lead to contention and strife, causing one to rebel against ones proper duty,reduce principle to chaos, and revert to violence. Therefore onemust be transformed by theexample of a teacher and guided by the way of ritual and rightness before one will attainmodesty and yielding, accord with refinement and ritual, and return to order. From thisperspective it is apparent that human nature is evil and that its goodness is the result ofconsciousactivity.Thuswarpedwoodmustbe laidagainstastraighteningboard, steamed,andbent intoshapebeforeitcanbecomestraight;bluntmetalmustbegroundonawhetstonebeforeitcanbecomesharp.Andinthathumannatureisevil,itmustwaitfortheexampleofateacherbeforeitcanbecomeupright,andforritualandrightnessbeforeitcanbecomeorderly.Now,ifpeoplelacktheexampleofteacherstheywillbepartialandnarrowratherthanupright;iftheylackritualandrightnesstheywillberebelliousandchaoticratherthanorderly.Inancienttimesthesagekings,recognizingthatthenatureofhumanbeings isevil that theyinclinetowardevilandarenotupright, that theyaredisposedtowardchaosandarenotorderlycreatedritualand



rightness and established models and limits in order to reform and improve the humanemotional nature andmake it upright, in order to train and transform the human emotionalnature andprovide itwith a guide.They caused them to attain order and to conform to theWay. And so today a person who is transformed by the instructions of a teacher, devoteshimselftostudy,andabidesbyritualandrightnessmaybecomeanobleperson,whileonewhofollowshisnatureandemotions,iscontenttogivefreeplaytohispassions,andabandonsritualandrightnessisalesserperson.Itisobviousfromthis,therefore,thathumannatureisevil,andthatitsgoodnessresultsfromconsciousactivity.Menciussaid,Thefactthathumanbeingslearnshowsthattheirnatureisgood.Isaythisisnotso; this comes of his having neither understood human nature nor perceived the distinctionbetweenthenatureandconsciousactivity.ThenatureiswhatisgivenbyHeaven:onecannotlearnit;onecannotacquireitbyeffort.Ritualandrightnessarecreatedbysages:peoplelearnthemandarecapable,througheffort,ofbringingthemtocompletion.Whatcannotbelearnedoracquiredbyeffortbut iswithinus is called thenature.What canbe learnedand, througheffort, brought to completion is called conscious activity. This is the distinction between thenatureandconsciousactivity.Thattheeyescanseeandtheearscanhearishumannature.Butthefacultyofclearsightdoesnotexistapartfromtheeye,nordoesthefacultyofkeenhearingexist apart from the ear. It is apparent that the eyes clear vision and the ears acutehearingcannotbelearned.Menciussaid,Now,humannatureisgood,and[whenitisnot]thisisalwaysaresultofhavinglostordestroyedonesnature.Isaythathewasmistakentotakesuchaview.Now,itishumannature that,assoonasaperson isborn,hedeparts fromhisoriginalsubstance1andfromhisnatural disposition, so that hemust inevitably lose anddestroy them. Seen in thisway, it isapparentthathumannatureisevil.Thosewhosaythatthenatureisgoodfindbeautyinwhatdoes not depart from the original substance and value in what does not diverge from thenatural disposition. They consider that the beauty of the natural disposition and the originalsubstance and thegoodnessof theminds intentions are [inseparable from thenature] in thesamewaythatclearsightisinseparablefromtheeyeandkeenhearingisinseparablefromtheear.Hence theymaintain that [the nature possesses goodness] in the sameway that the eyepossessesclearvisionortheearpossesseskeennessofhearing.Now,itishumannaturethatwhenoneishungryhewilldesiresatisfaction,whenheiscoldhewilldesirewarmth,andwhenhe iswearyhewilldesire rest.This is theemotionalnatureofhumanbeings.Yet,evenifapersonishungry,hewillnotdaretobethefirsttoeatifheisinthepresenceofhiseldersbecauseheknowsthatheshouldyieldtothem.Althoughheisweary,hewillnotdaretoseekrestbecauseheknowsthatheshouldworkonbehalfofothers.Forasontoyieldtohisfatherandayoungerbrothertoyieldtohiselderbrother,orforasontoworkon

1ThewordXunziuseshereispu,atermthatoccursfrequentlyintheDaodejingandisoftentranslatedinthatcontextastheuncarvedblock.



behalfofhis fatherandayoungerbrother toworkonbehalfofhiselderbrother these twoactsarecontrarytothenatureandcountertotheemotions,andyettheyrepresentthewayoffilialdevotionand the refinement andprinciple that are associatedwith ritual and rightness.Hence,tofollowtheemotionalnaturewouldmeanthattherewouldbenocourtesyorhumility;courtesyandhumilityruncountertotheemotionalnature.Fromthisperspectiveitisapparentthathumannature is evil, and that goodness is the result of conscious activity.Aquestionerasks:Ifhumannatureisevil,thenwheredoritualandrightnesscomefrom?Ireply:ritualandrightness are always created by the conscious activity of the sages; essentially they are notcreatedbyhumannature.Thusapottermoldsclayandmakesavessel,butthevesseliscreatedbytheconsciousactivityofthepotterandisnotcreatedbyhishumannature.Inthesamewayacarpentercarvesapieceofwoodandmakesautensil,buttheutensil iscreatedthroughtheconsciousactivityofthecarpenterandisnotcreatedbyhishumannature.Asagegathershisthoughts and reflections, engages in conscious activity, and thus creates ritual and rightnessandproducesmodelsandregulations.Henceritual,rightness,models,andlimitsarecreatedbytheconsciousactivityofthesageandnotbyhishumannature.Whenapersondesirestodogoodhealwaysdoessobecausehisnatureisevil.Apersonwhoisshallow aspires to depth; one who is ugly aspires to beauty; one who is narrow aspires tobreadth;onewhoispooraspirestowealth;onewhoishumbleaspirestoesteem.Whateveronelacksinoneselfhemustseekoutside.Thereforeifapersonisrich,hewillnotaspiretowealth,andifheisesteemed,hewillnotlongforpower.Whatapersonpossessesinhimselfheneednotseekoutside.Onecanseefromthisthatthereasonhumanbeingsdesiretodogoodisthattheirnatureisevil.Nowhumannatureisdefinitelydevoidofritualandrightness.Therefore,they compel themselves to study and to seek to possess them. The nature knows nothing ofritualandrightness,andthereforetheyreflectandponderandseektounderstandthem.Thusthenatureisinborn,thatisall,andhumanbeingsneitherpossessritualandrightness,nordotheyunderstandthem.Ifhumannatureweregood,wecoulddispensewiththesagekingsanddesistfromthepracticeofritualandrightness.Sincehumannatureisevil,wemustelevatethesagesandesteemritualandrightness.Thereforethestraighteningboardwascreatedbecauseofwarpedwood,andtheplumblinecameintobeingbecauseof thingsthatarenotstraight.Rulersareestablishedandritualandrightnessareilluminatedbecausethenatureisevil.Fromthisperspectiveitisclearthat humannature is evil and that goodness is the result of conscious activity.Wood that isstraightneednotwaitforthestraighteningboardtobecomestraight;itisstraightbynature.Butawarped piece ofwoodmust be laid against a straightening board, steamed, and bent intoshapebeforeitcanbecomestraightbecauseitsnatureisnotstraight.Nowsincehumannatureis evil, peoplemust await ordering by the sage kings and transformation through ritual andrightness,andonlythendotheyattainorderandaccordwithgoodness.Fromthisperspective,itisclearthathumannatureisevilandthatgoodnessistheresultofconsciousactivity.



Someone may ask whether ritual and rightness and sustained conscious activity are notthemselveshumannature,whichwouldexplainwhythesageisabletocreatethem.Ireplythatthisisnotthecase.Apottermaymoldclayandproduceanearthenpot,buthowcouldmoldingpotsoutofclaybethepottersnature?Acarpentermaycarvewoodandproduceutensils,buthowcouldcarvingutensilsoutofwoodbethecarpentersnature?Thesagestandsinthesamerelation to ritual and rightness as thepotter to the thingshemoldsandproduces.How thencouldritualandrightnessandsustainedconsciousactivitybetheoriginalhumannature?Intheirhumannature,YaoandShunwereonewithJieandZhi, justasthenoblepersonandthe lesserpersonare,bynature,one.Howcould itbe thatritualandrightnessandsustainedconsciousactivityarehumannature?Ifthiswerethecase,whatreasonwouldtherebetohonorYaoorYuortohonorthenobleperson?PeoplehonorYao,Yu,andthenoblepersonbecauseoftheir ability to transform their nature, to generate conscious activity, and, through thisconsciousactivity, tocreateritualandrightness.Thusthesagenecessarilystands in thesamerelationtoritualandrightnessandconsciousactivityasdoesthepottertothethingshemoldsandproduces.From thisperspective,howcould itbe that ritual and rightnessandsustainedconsciousactivityarehumannature?ThereasonpeopledespiseJie,orthelesserperson,isthatthey follow their nature, indulge their emotions, and are content to give free rein to theirpassions,sothattheirconductismarkedbygreedandcontentiousness.Thereforeitisclearthathumannatureisevilandthatgoodnessistheresultofconsciousactivity.ThemaninthestreetcanbecomeaYu.2Whatdoesthismean?Ireply,WhatmadethesageemperorYuaYuwasthefactthathepracticedhumanenessandrightnessandtookuprightnessas his standard. This being so, humaneness, rightness, and proper standardsmust be basedupon principles that can be known and practiced. Any man in the street has the naturalendowmentneeded tounderstandhumaneness, rightness,proper standards,anduprightnessandtheabilitytopracticehumaneness,rightness,properstandards,anduprightness.ThereforeitisclearthathecanbecomeaYu.Isonetosupposethathumaneness,rightness,properstandards,anduprightnessarenotbaseduponprinciples that canbe knownandpracticed? If thatwere so, then even aYu couldnothaveunderstoodandpracticedthem.Isonetosupposethatthemaninthestreetdoesnothavethenaturalendowmentneededtounderstandthemortheabilitytoputthemintopractice?Ifthatwereso,thenthemaninthestreet,withinhisfamily,couldnotunderstandtherightnessthatpertainsbetweenfatherandsonand,without,couldnotcomprehendthecorrectnessthatpertainsbetweenrulerandsubject.But this isnot thecase.Themaninthestreet,within,canunderstandtherightnessthatpertainsbetweenfatherandsonand,without,canunderstandthecorrectnessbetweenrulerandsubject.Thusitisclearthathehasinhimthenaturalendowmentneeded to understand and the talent to put them into practice.Now if theman in the street

2Thiswasapparentlyanoldsaying.Cf.Mencius6B:2:CaoJiaoasked,IsittruethatallhumanbeingsarecapableofbecomingaYaooraShun?Menciussaid,Itistrue.



takes this endowment that enables him to know and this talent that enables him to act andapplies them to the principles of humaneness and rightness, which are knowable, and thepracticeofhumanenessandrightness,whichispracticable,thenitisclearthathecanbecomeaYu.Ifthemaninthestreetapplieshimselftotrainingandstudy,concentrateshismind,unifieshiswill,andponderingandexaminingthingscarefully,continueshiseffortsoveralongperiodof time, accumulating good acts without stop, then he can penetrate to a spiritualunderstandingandformatriadwithHeavenandEarth.Thesageisapersonwhohasarrivedwherehehasthroughtheaccumulationofgoodacts.

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Xunzi Human Nature