What is Xunzi's idea of the rule of propriety like?

Xunzi's idea of the rule of propriety was the core of his political thought. Xunzi emphasized the role of rituals in all aspects of social life, and thus vigorously publicized and promoted his idea of rituals. He advocated the cultivation of one's body with rituals, the unification of one's family with rituals, and the governance of the country and the world with rituals. In his Treatise on Rites, Xunzi defines what he means by rites as two interrelated aspects. The first is "to nourish", that is, "to nourish people's desires and to give them what they want". The second is "to distinguish", that is, "there is a difference between the noble and the lowly, between the young and the old, between the rich and the poor, and between the light and the heavy". Xunzi also focuses on the role of rites in nature and human society in his Treatise on Rites. Xunzi pointed out that for human society, "those who follow it rule, those who do not follow it are in chaos; those who follow it are in peace, those who do not follow it are in danger; those who follow it survive, those who do not follow it perish." Xunzi also discusses the role of rites from a broader perspective in "Cultivating One's Virtue," saying, "Without rites, a man cannot be born; without rites, a matter cannot be accomplished; without rites, a country is not at peace." Based on this, Xunzi strongly advocated the idea of "promoting etiquette," thus forming his idea of the rule of etiquette.

Cultivating one's moral character is literally understood as cultivating one's body and mind. Throughout the ages, China has emphasized the tradition of cultivating one's body, which is regarded as the foundation of the family, the country and the world. So, how to cultivate oneself? What is the guiding principle of self-cultivation? Xunzi particularly emphasized the role of "ritual", emphasizing the need to "ritual" cultivation, that is, the cultivation of the body by "ritual".

First of all, Xunzi believes that cultivating oneself with manners is the right way to learn how to be a human being. Xunzi pointed out: not to follow the ritual to do, do not attach importance to the ritual, is called not to walk the right way; to follow the ritual to do, attach importance to the ritual, is called to walk the right way. If one is able to y recognize the rites, firmly believe in them, and unchangingly prefer them, then one can cultivate oneself to become a saint. Xunzi believed that learning began with the recitation of the Poetry and the Book and ended with the reading of the Rites; that is, it began with being a knowledgeable person and ended with becoming a sage. Xunzi said: merely reading some miscellaneous books and lecturing on the Poetry and the Book, and spending one's whole life in this way, one would be nothing more than a shallowly learned Confucian scholar. In order to be a true scholar, one must place the "Long Li" at the center of one's studies. Respect for the rites and laws, although not a deep understanding of its essence, but still can be called to comply with the rites and laws of the readers; do not respect the rites and laws, even if the understanding of the good change, but also still do not abide by the rites and laws of the Confucian students.

Secondly, Xunzi believed that the cultivation of one's moral character by means of rituals was fundamental to the strength of mankind. Xunzi suggested that propriety and righteousness are the fundamental difference between human beings and beasts, and the fundamental reason why human beings are able to overcome all creatures and become strong and prosperous. Xunzi discusses this idea in The System of Kings, in which he makes a distinction between human beings and water and fire, grass and trees, and birds and beasts. He said: "water and fire have gas and no life, grass and trees have life and no knowledge, beasts have knowledge and no righteousness; people have gas, have life, have knowledge, and also have righteousness, so the most expensive in the world. Power is not like cattle, walking is not like horses, and cattle and horses for use, why? Said: people can group, they can not group also. How can people group? Said: divided. How can the division of behavior? Said: righteousness. Therefore, the righteousness of the division and, and then one, one is more than one force, more than one force is strong, strong wins things; Therefore, the palace room can be obtained and live also. Therefore, the order of the four seasons, cut all things, and benefit the world, there is no other reason why, get the sub-yi also. Therefore, life can not be without a group, group without a division is a fight, the fight is chaotic, chaotic is away, away from the weak, the weak can not win things. Therefore, the palace room can not be obtained and living, not less than a few hectares to give up the meaning of propriety and righteousness."

Once again, Xunzi believed that cultivating oneself with propriety was necessary for personal survival. Xunzi said, whether it is personal clothing, food, housing and transportation, or personal etiquette and interaction, should be in line with the provisions of the rites, and only in this way, all aspects of the access to the smooth. In the personal clothing, food, housing and transportation, Xunzi said in the "cultivation of the body": "Where the use of blood and gas, will, know that, by the gift is to rule through, not by the gift is to erect chaos to mention the ???; food and drink, clothing, residence, movement, by the gift is and section, not by the gift is to touch trapped in the disease; appearance, attitude, in and out, tend to line, by the gift is elegant, not by the gift is to be solid and remote violation of the mediocrity of the crowd and the wild. Therefore, people are not born without etiquette". In terms of human interaction, Xunzi in the "cultivation of the body" also said: "body respect and heart loyalty and faith, the art of etiquette and love, cross the world, although the four barbarians are trapped, no one is not expensive; labor and suffering is the first to compete, rave is able to let; honesty and integrity, detention and detail, cross the world, although the four barbarians are trapped, no one is not appointed."

Xunzi also emphasized the role of "cultivation" when discussing the cultivation of one's body with manners, stressing the need to "cultivate" one's body with manners, i.e., to "cultivate" one's body with manners. First of all, Xunzi believes that human nature can be repaired. Xunzi points out that human nature is the natural material that people are born with and can be used to cultivate. Without the natural material of man's nature, there would be no object to be processed and transformed by the rites and laws; without the perfection of the rites and laws, the natural material of man's nature could not be made good. The combination of innate natural materials and perfected rites and laws can be cultivated into the reputation of a saint. Xunzi said in his Treatise on Rites: "Nature is the simplicity of the original material; and pseudo is the grandeur of literature. If there is no sex, then there is nothing to add to the pseudo, and if there is no pseudo, then sex cannot be beautiful. When sex and pseudo are combined, then the name of the sage will be realized, and the work of the world will be accomplished." Xunzi believed that saints were not born, and that ordinary people could become saints as long as they persisted in cultivating themselves with propriety. Xunzi said in "Confucian Effect": "Sex is also, I can not be, but can be transformed; feelings are also, not my own, but can be. Note the wrong customs, so the sex is also; and one and not two, so into the accumulation of also, the custom to move Zhi, Anjiu move quality, and one and not two, then through the gods, participate in heaven and earth is carried out. Therefore, the accumulation of soil and for the mountain, accumulation of water and for the sea ...... Tu people people, accumulation of good and full exhaustion, called the saint. He seeks and then get, for and then become, accumulate and then high, and after the end of the saint. Therefore, the saints are also those who have been accumulated by the people."

Secondly, Xunzi believed that human nature needs to be repaired. As we all know, Xunzi is a theorist of the evil of human nature. According to Xunzi, the evil of human nature is not conducive to the development of human beings nor to the maintenance of social order, and thus it is necessary to correct it by means of propriety and righteousness. Xunzi in the "sex evil" said: "nowadays people's nature is evil, must wait for the teacher law and then correct, get the rites and righteousness and then cure. Nowadays, without the teacher, it is dangerous and incorrect; without the rites and righteousness, it is rebellious and unruly. Ancient sages and kings to human nature evil, that is, biased and unorthodox, chaotic and unruly, is to think of the rise of propriety and righteousness, the system of law, in order to decorate the human nature and the right. In order to disturb the human nature and guide it. The beginning of all out of the rule, in line with the Taoist also. Nowadays, the person who is a gentleman is a teacher, a man of literature, and a man of propriety and righteousness; the person who is a villain is a man who indulges his temperament, is a man of wantonness, and violates the propriety and righteousness of the people." "Those who wish to be good are evil in nature. Nowadays, people's nature is certainly without propriety and righteousness, so they learn strongly and seek to have it; their nature does not know propriety and righteousness, so they think about it and seek to know it."

Xunzi particularly emphasized the role of the teacher when discussing the cultivation of one's body through ritual. According to Xunzi, the rites are for the purpose of correcting human behavior; the teacher is for the purpose of correctly interpreting the provisions of the rites. Without rites, one's behavior cannot be corrected; without a teacher, one does not know what rites are like. Therefore, to cultivate one's body with rites, one needs to be taught by a teacher. Xunzi said in "Cultivating one's moral character": "The rites are for the purpose of correcting one's body; the teacher is for the purpose of correcting one's manners. Without rites, how can I correct myself? Without a teacher, how can I know what rites are? If the rites are in place, then the feelings are at peace with the rites; if the teacher is in the clouds, then the knowledge is like that of the teacher. If one's feelings are at peace with etiquette and one's knowledge is like that of a teacher, then one is a saint. Therefore, if it is not a gift, it is not law; if it is not a teacher, it is not a teacher. It is not the teacher's law, and good self-use, for example, it is as if blind to argue the color, deaf to argue the sound, also, shed chaos and delusion of inaction also." Because of this, Xunzi said in "Confucian Effect", "The one who has the teacher's law is the great treasure of man; the one who does not have the teacher's law is the great calamity of man." Not only that, Xunzi also believed that the role of the teacher could also make people greatly improve the efficiency of cultivating one's moral character, and make cultivating one's moral character with rituals more convenient and quicker. Xunzi said in "Counseling Learning", "Learning is not as convenient as being close to one's own people. The Rites and the Laws of Music do not speak, the Poetry and the Book do not cut, and the Spring and Autumn Annals do not speed up. Square its people to learn the gentleman's say, then honor to all carry on, Zhou in the world carry on. Therefore, it is said: learning is not convenient to be close to its people."

Xunzi also emphasized the need for a deeper understanding of the relationship between rites and benevolence and righteousness when talking about cultivating oneself with rites. According to Xunzi, the relationship between rites, benevolence, and righteousness is very close, and only when the relationship between benevolence, righteousness, and rites has been understood can one be considered to have understood the requirement of cultivating one's moral character with rites. (Liu Guansheng)