I. Overview
Regarding human nature, Confucius said: "We are born with virtue in giving." "Man is born with the ability to judge right from wrong, good and evil, which is an illustration of a theory of sexual goodness, or at least of sexual goodness. But Confucius did not discuss human nature, but more of his assertion of self-denial and retribution, and his foothold was reality.
Mencius inherited Confucius's idea of human goodness, and first clearly stated: "Human nature is good." Mencius said: "The heart of compassion is shared by everyone; the heart of shame is shared by everyone; the heart of respect is shared by everyone; the heart of right and wrong is shared by everyone." Compassion, benevolence; shame, righteousness; reverence, courtesy; right and wrong, wisdom. Benevolence, righteousness, and wisdom are not from the outside to me, but I am inherent in it. Therefore, specific to action, Mencius advocated that individuals should conduct self-reflection, and as long as they introspect to the good, they can dig out the roots of goodness, which is a kind of personal practice, lacks social practice, and has obvious idealistic characteristics.
Xun Zi inherited Confucius's idea of self-denial and retribution, paying more attention to social practice, and in response to Mencius's view of "human nature is good", he put forward tit-for-tat: "Human nature is evil, and its good is also false!" Xun Zi came to a beautiful conclusion on the premise of the judgment of "human nature is evil": "Everyone can be sanctified!" Therefore, "human nature is evil" is a positive judgment full of positive energy.
Xunzi's theory of sexual evil is a rigorous and complete theoretical system, which is introduced from the four aspects of "evil", "good", "good" and "sanctification".
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="6" > second, human nature is evil</h1>
In the "Correct Name Chapter", XunZi pointed out that the innate call "sex" is equivalent to what we call physiological instinct. On the basis of physiological instinct, the induction of the human spirit to external things is also called "sex", which is roughly equivalent to what we call nature. There is also a "love" that is highly related to the concept of "sex", Xunzi believes that the seven emotions and six desires such as likes and dislikes and joys and sorrows expressed in nature are called "feelings", that is, emotions, emotions, etc. In the "Treatise on Heaven", Xun Zi's fate is called "Heavenly Love". "Sex" and "affection" are sometimes inseparable from each other, so they are collectively called "temperament", or "affection".
Xun Zi believes that people in the world are born to like what is beneficial to themselves, and when they indulge this nature, interpersonal competition arises, and then there is no humility; people naturally hate things that are unfavorable to themselves, and when they allow this nature to infringe upon each other, then loyalty is lost; people's eyes and ears are born with a love of beautiful sounds and beautiful things, and when they indulge this nature, fornication occurs, and then etiquette and its moral norms are lost. Therefore, human nature is evil!
Historically, people's behavior was evil, rebellious, and improper, causing chaos in the world, so the ancient holy kings created etiquette and righteousness, formulated norms and standards, and used them to educate and correct people's emotions, make everyone good, and thus rule the world. Now the world is in chaos, and those who have been indoctrinated by teachers, who constantly study the norms of etiquette, and who obey etiquette and righteousness have become gentlemen; those who indulge in willfulness, act arbitrarily, and violate etiquette and righteousness have become villains.
Therefore, laissez-faire nature is chaotic, and etiquette and indoctrination make people good.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="11" > third, the good is false</h1>
Xunzi put forward the concept of congenital and acquired, the so-called innate is innate, that is, human nature, the so-called acquired is man-made, Xunzi called it "pseudo", good belongs to the category of "pseudo". Specifically, actions taken deliberately based on temperament are "pseudo", similar to what we call habitual behavior.
Mencius said, "Man learns because his nature is good. Xunzi believed that Mencius's statement was wrong and did not clarify the difference between sexual hypocrisy.
Innate nature is given by God, cannot be learned by the day after tomorrow, and cannot be obtained through acquired efforts. The character that can be achieved through learning and can be formed through acquired efforts is artificially acquired, and Xunzi calls it "pseudo". This is the difference between acquired man and innate nature. Since Mencius said that goodness can be learned, then goodness is not innate, but can only be "false" the day after tomorrow.
Mencius said, "Man is good by nature, and evil is done by losing his nature." ”
Xun Zi pointed out that if human nature is good, then goodness should be like sight and hearing, and it will not exist apart from nature. It is equivalent to saying that as long as you let your nature go, how can you do evil? According to Mencius's logic, people do evil because good is detached from nature, and since good can exist apart from nature, it is not human nature.
People want to eat when they are hungry, want to wear warm clothes when they are cold, and want to rest when they are tired, this is human nature. But the reality is that even if people in the world are hungry, they do not dare to eat first in front of the elders; even if they are tired, they do not dare to ask for rest first, because if they do more, they can reduce the labor burden of the elders. Both good deeds, humility and substitution, are contrary to human nature. Why would they do that? For this is the requirement of filial piety, propriety, and morality, and it is external constraints that motivate the world to do so. It follows from this that good deeds are acquired.
Someone asked Xunzi, "Since human nature is inherently evil, how can good etiquette and righteousness arise?" "Does righteousness arise from innate human nature?" Xun Zi replied: Righteousness arises from the acquired efforts of the saints, not from human nature.
Etiquette is created by the saints and does not come from the nature of the saints. Ritual righteousness is the result of the hypocrisy of the sainthood. It's like pottery is the fruit of a potter's labor, not the nature of a potter. The so-called "transformation" does not mean that human nature can be changed, nor does it mean that man's evil nature can be eliminated, but that through indoctrination, the evil of human nature can be restrained and people's behavior patterns can be changed.
According to Xunzi, good arises because of evil. Xun Zi said that the reason why the tool for correcting curved wood was invented was because there was curved wood in the world; rope ink was used because there were materials that needed to be straightened; and the state set up a monarch to show etiquette because human nature was inherently evil.
If man is born good, then what else is there to do with courtesy and righteousness, isn't it superfluous? Since Mencius believed that human nature is inherently good, he should abolish the Holy King and abolish etiquette. But this obviously does not work. Thus, the theory of sexual goodness contradicts Mencius's assertion of goodness.
Xun Zi pointed out that Mencius's theory of sexual goodness could not withstand analysis, could not draw reasonable conclusions, and could not be tested in practice. The theory of sexual goodness is only a theoretical empty talk, and it is impossible to formulate a corresponding landing plan and cannot be implemented in realpolitik, which is contrary to history and reality.
Judging from the process of Xunzi's criticism of Mencius's theory of sexual goodness, Xunzi's logic is very strict, while Mencius's theory of sexual goodness basically belongs to a subjective theory and lacks logical support.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="24" >4. Why people are good</h1>
Xun Zi said that thin hopes become thicker, ugly hopes become beautiful, narrow hopes become wider, poor hopes become richer, and lowly hopes become expensive, and only what they do not have will they seek outward. The reason why people want to be good is because there is a lack of goodness in human nature.
Someone asked Xunzi that "goodness" is also a kind of "goodness." If this is true, doesn't it mean that at least there is good in human nature? Xunzi replied that potters mixed clay to make tiles, but how could tile making be the nature of potters? How can it be human nature for a saint to create a ritual like a potter mixing clay to make tiles?
The nature of Yao Shun and Ji Shu is the same, and the nature of a gentleman and a villain is the same. Yao Shunyu is good, hypocritical, and establishes etiquette, while he allows his nature to be laissez-faire and creates social chaos. Some choose to be good, some choose to be evil, so it is not human nature to be good.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="28" >5</h1>
Based on the basic judgment of "human nature is evil", Xunzi put forward the core proposition of the Longli Longshi, so the first article of the book "Xunzi" is "Persuasion", encouraging everyone to respect the way of the Holy King, learn how to be a man, be a gentleman, and not be a villain. In the Confucian Commentary, Xun Zi clearly pointed out that Confucians must study the classics of poetry and book Lile Yi Chunqiu, and as their skills continue to improve, they can gradually become jinshi, gentlemen, and even saints.
Xun Zi said that on the one hand, the path of benevolence and righteousness can be recognized, and the standard path can be implemented; on the other hand, ordinary people have the corresponding cognitive potential and execution ability, so it is obvious that everyone can become a saint. The so-called saints are the highest realms that ordinary people can reach by continuously accumulating good deeds.
Someone asked, "Everyone can be a saint, but not all people can do this. ”
Xun Zi said that a villain can become a gentleman, but a villain is not willing to be a gentleman; a gentleman can become a villain, but a gentleman disdains to be a villain. Walking can walk all over the world, but not necessarily anyone can walk all over the world. Whether it can be or not is two different things.
In the book "Xunzi", there are many discussions of saints, and in "Sexual Evil", Xunzi mainly tells us from the perspective of temperament that those who are wise and courageous are saints.
The ability to know things that people are born with is called "knowing", that is, feeling and perception. The senses and perceptions obtained correspond to the objective things of the outside world, which are called "wisdom", that is, wisdom. But there is a world of differences in the level of cognition between people, and one of the important reasons is that it is affected by personal likes and dislikes and moods.
Emperor Yao asked Yu Shun, "What is the human condition?" Yu Shun replied, "Once you get married and have children, you will not be so filial to your parents; once your desire to fulfill is satisfied, you will not be honest with your friends; once the high-ranking official Houlu is in hand, you will not be so loyal to the monarch." What a thing about human temperament! Very bad. Only virtuous people can overcome their innate disposition. ”
Xun Zi said that there are many words, everything has its own independent point of view, both literary and methodical, side-by-side quotations, ever-changing, but the program is only - one, this is the great wisdom of the saints. Firmly believe that there is a right way in the world, dare to stand up; as long as benevolence is there, it will not avoid poverty, and as long as benevolence and righteousness are lost, it will disdain wealth and nobility. If the people of the world agree with him, they are willing to do great things with the people of the world, and if the people of the world do not understand him, he will be independent of the heavens and the earth and fearless, this is a brave man.
To become a saint, Xunzi put special emphasis on "Longshi", followed the Master, and what he heard was the way of the Holy King of Yao Shunyu Tang; making good friends, seeing the virtues of loyalty, trustworthiness, respect, and courtesy. If you get along with the unkind, then you hear deception, framing, fraud and hypocrisy, and you see dirty, insulting, excessive, evil and greedy, and you are unconsciously in a situation of torture. This is the reason why the environment is edifying and subtle.
Xunzi's idea of "Longshi" is in line with his practice-oriented view, and it is also the most significant difference between him and Mencius's subjectivist ideas.
VI. Conclusion
When Xunzi said that "human nature is evil", he did not have the slightest component of subjective judgment, let alone the meaning of degrading personality, Xunzi only made an objective evaluation of human nature, a rational judgment, without any emotions and dissatisfaction, let alone cynicism.
In any case, most people think that people are good, or people will at least say that people are good-hearted, which is a simple emotional cognition. It is difficult for us to admit that our nature is evil, and is this perception itself some kind of "evil"?
Many people's understanding of xunzi sexual evil theory is one-sided and incomplete, and the most common phenomenon is to take it out of context and generalize it. Xun Zi said, "Man is evil in nature, and his good is also false!" "Many people only talk about the first half of the sentence, not the second half, only about evil, not about good. Second, only talk about good and evil, not about good. Third, xunzi's purpose is to make people good, and goodness must be based on the theory of sexual evil. Xunzi's path to goodness is a path of ritual rule, the path of sanctification, and along the path of xunzi's path to goodness, the ultimate goal is the great rule of the world.
In short, Xunzi's logic of sexual evil is very powerful. It can be said that Xunzi's theory of sexual evil is more like an academic theory, while Mencius's theory of sexual goodness is more like a political slogan.
To overthrow Xunzi's theory of sexual evil, we must study it from our nature.
Xun Zi believed that nature is innate, and what is learned is not nature. Yes, the original brain of human beings is the brain of animals, and in order to survive the weak and the strong, human nature is evil. But since the emergence of human interaction and the formation of social organizations, there have been many rules, systems, and laws that constrain the original evil, which are good for specific groups of people. These external goodnesses, which have been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years, have been deeply engraved in the brain circuits, so there is goodness in human nature, but different families and different people have different amounts of inherited goodness, which is the role of genetic inheritance. The human brain has undergone 6,000 to 10,000 years of evolution, and the genes of good and evil will be inherited.
In short, human nature was originally evil, but with the progress of society, the component of good is implanted, so there is both evil and good in human nature. And because of genetic differences, some people have more good components, and some people have more evil components.
I do not speculate, throw bricks and lead jade, please correct the Fang family!