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74-522: The 13th five-year plan of Xinyang city puts forward the concept of "integration of decoration and light", accelerates the integrated development of Huangchuan and Guangshan counties, constructs the sub central city of the city area, and supports the withdrawal of counties into cities. As 2012, this county is divided to 2 subdistricts, 7 towns and 10 townships. The famous historical figures born at Guangshan included Sima Guang (司马光, 1019–1086), Cai Yizhong (蔡毅中, 1567－1631), and Huxu (胡煦, 1655－1736). During

148-580: A 1096 invasion by the restored Zhang Dun. Sima Guang is best remembered for his masterwork, Zizhi Tongjian , and the Australian sinologist Rafe de Crespigny describes him as "perhaps the greatest of all Chinese historians" ( de Crespigny 1973 :65). In 1064, Sima presented to Emperor Yingzong of Song the five-volume Liniantu ("Chart of Successive Years"). It chronologically summarized events in Chinese history from 403 BCE to 959 CE and served as

222-490: A comprehensive argument in opposition, stating that certain music provides joy, which is indeed essential to human wellbeing. Music and joy are respectively translated as yue and le , and their connection in Xunzi's time may explain why both words share the same Chinese character: 樂 . Xunzi also points out the use of music for social harmony: 故樂在宗廟之中，君臣上下同聽之，則莫不和敬；閨門之內，父子兄弟同聽之，則莫不和親；鄉里族長之中，長少同聽之，則莫不和順。 Hence, when music

296-517: A darker, more pessimistic flavor than the optimistic Confucianism of Mencius , who tended to view humans as innately good . Like most Confucians, however, he believed that people could be refined through education and ritual. Now, since human nature is evil, it must await the instructions of a teacher and the model before it can be put aright, and it must obtain ritual principles and a sense of moral right before it can become orderly. Both Mencius and Xunzi believed in human nature and both believed it

370-418: A framework for the replacement system should be formulated first. Su Shi, Su Che's older brother, formed a third faction and proposed that the funds from the labor recruitment law should be used to buy up public lands to grant to volunteer laborers in addition to their wages. Sima did not accept dissent from either group. The green sprouts law was intended to give low-interest loans to farmers but, like many of

444-587: A more detailed eight-volume Tongzhi ( 通志 ; 'Comprehensive Records'), which chronicled Chinese history from 403 BCE to 207 BCE (the end of the Qin dynasty). The emperor issued an edict for the compilation of a groundbreaking universal history of China, granting full access to imperial libraries, and allocating funds for the costs of compilation, including research assistance by experienced historians such as Liu Ban (劉攽, 1022–88), Liu Shu (劉恕, 1032–78), and Fan Zuyu (范祖禹, 1041–98). After Yingzong died in 1067, Sima

518-463: A policy critic, raised the issue between performing rituals for Zhao Yurang , Emperor Yingzong's biological father, and Emperor Renzong. This issue would dominate Yingzong's reign and cause political gridlock. Sima himself believed that priority should be given to Renzong since he was the emperor's ritual father. Yingzong overruled this belief and, partly due to personal affection for his biological father, gave Zhao Yurang high ritual honors in 1066. In

592-630: A prospectus for sponsorship of his ambitious project in historiography . These dates were chosen because 403 BCE was the beginning of the Warring States period, when the ancient State of Jin was subdivided, which eventually led to the establishment of the Qin dynasty —959 CE was the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and the beginning of the Song dynasty. In 1066, he presented

666-415: A scholar. For 40 years following the death of Shenzong, the reformist and conservative factions alternated control over the Song government. Both factions engaged in "ethical factionalism" as they engaged in ruthless purges against each other. An attempted coup by the reformist faction (including Cai Que , Zhang Dun , Xing Shu , and Cai Jing ) intended to dethrone Emperor Zhezong failed and aggravated

740-855: A statesman and historian, Sima Guang was also a lexicographer (who perhaps edited the Jiyun ), and spent decades compiling his 1066 Leipian ("Classified Chapters", cf. the Yupian ) dictionary. It was based on the Shuowen Jiezi , and included 31,319 Chinese characters , many of which were coined in the Song and Tang dynasty . His Family Precepts of Sima Guang (司馬溫公家訓) is also widely known and studied in China and Japan. Xunzi (philosopher) Xunzi ( Chinese : 荀 子 , lit.   ' Master Xun ' ; c.  310  – c.  after 238 BCE), born Xun Kuang ( Chinese : 荀 況 ),

814-569: A task that was reserved for the most respected scholar available. The eminence at which he was held suggests that Xunzi became the head of the Jixia Academy, but he is known to have taught there regardless. It was at this time that Xunzi composed much of his most important philosophical works, namely the chapters "Of Honor and Disgrace", "Of Kings and the Lords-Protector", "Discourse on Nature", "Discourse on Music", and "Man's Nature

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888-577: A task which proved difficult because of the strong hold that Shang Yang 's Legalist sentiments had there. In a conversation with the Qin official Fan Sui, Xunzi praised much of the state's achievements, officials and governmental organizations. Still, Xunzi found issues with the state, primarily its lack of Confucian scholars and the fear it inspires, which Xunzi claimed would result in the surrounding states uniting up against. Xunzi then met with King Zhaoxiang , arguing that Qin's lack of Confucian scholars and educational encouragement would be detrimental to

962-477: A way that promotes these theories. Sima and the other Yuanyou faction conservatives (except for Su Shi , who had an unorthodox interpretation of the Tao ) would be positively associated with Neo-confucianism . Liu Anshi , an important Neoconfucian, was Sima's disciple. Emperor Shenzong died in 1085, shortly after Sima had submitted Zizhi Tongjian to the throne. Sima was recalled to court and appointed to lead

1036-592: A wider level, a society with clear inferior-superior roles would be stable. His deeply anti-change perspective made him a political conservative (in contrast with Wang Anshi's reformism). For Sima, to be ethical was to accept one's social status, and personal cultivation meant exercising restraint; indeed Sima interpreted the "investigation of things", a fundamental tenet of the Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-confucianism , as "restraining things". He also agreed with Xunzi's postulation that humans were inherently evil and wrote

1110-481: A work called "Doubting Mencius " that criticized Mencius' encouraging of the overthrow of hierarchy. After the failure of the Qingli Reforms under an unenthusiastic Emperor Renzong , the future reformist Wang Anshi submitted a 10,000-word memorial in 1058 detailing a system of comprehensive reform. Sima Guang did the same thing in 1061, but his proposals were more conservative. In 1064, Sima, then just

1184-405: A work of reference and guidance, indicating that Shenzong accepted Sima as his guide in the study of history and its application to government. The emperor maintained his support for the compilation of this comprehensive history until its completion in 1084. From the late 1060s, Sima came to assume a role as leader of what has been identified as a conservative faction at court, resolutely opposed to

1258-536: Is Evil". In his time, Xunzi was called "the most revered of teachers" ( zui wei laoshi ; 最 爲 老 師 ). His most famous pupils were Han Fei and Li Si , each who would have important political and academic careers. Xunzi's association with Li Si, the future Chancellor (or Prime Minister) of the Qin dynasty would later tarnish his reputation. Other students of his included Fuqiu Bo  [ zh ] , Zhang Cang and Mao Heng  [ zh ] , all of whom authored important editions and commentaries on

1332-490: Is called "Human Nature is Evil," but that's not the whole story. Xunzi thought that people could improve themselves by learning good habits and manners, which he called "artifice." (偽) He believed that people needed to transform their nature to become good. This could be done by learning from a teacher and following rituals and morals. Even though some people doubt if the chapter is real, it's an important part of Xunzi's philosophy. People still talk about it today and think about

1406-432: Is evil" has led many commentators to place him opposite of Mencius, who believed human nature was intrinsically good. Though like Mencius, Xunzi believed that education and ritual were the key to self-cultivation and thus the method to circumvent one's naturally foul nature. His definition of both concepts was loose, and he encouraged lifelong education and applied ritual to every aspect of life. Other important topics include

1480-493: Is largely nonexistent. Yet when compared to the scarcity of knowledge for many other ancient Chinese philosophers, there is meaningful and significant extant information on the life of Xunzi. The sinologist John H. Knoblock asserts that the sources available "permit not only a reconstruction of the outlines of career but also an understanding of his intellectual development". Xunzi's writings have survived in exceptionally good condition, and while they provide biographical details,

1554-467: Is performed within the ancestral temple, lord and subject, high and low, listen to the music together and are united in feelings of reverence. When music is played in the private quarters of the home, father and son, elder and younger brother, listen to it together and are united in feelings of close kinship. When it is played in village meetings or clan halls, old and young listen to the music together and are joined in obedience. Many commentators have noted

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1628-598: The Chinese Civil War , Guangshan county was at the heart of the Eyuwan Soviet (including the soviet capital). The Eyuwan Soviet included more than one million people in the border region between Hubei, Henan, and Anhui provinces and was the second-largest soviet in China. This Henan location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sima Guang Sima Guang (17 November 1019 – 11 October 1086), courtesy name Junshi ,

1702-641: The New Policies of Chancellor Wang Anshi . Sima presented increasingly critical memorials to the throne until 1070, when he refused further appointment and withdrew from court. In 1071, he took up residence in Luoyang , where he remained with an official sinecure, providing sufficient time and resources to continue the compilation of Zizhi Tongjian . Though the historian and the emperor continued to disagree on policies, Sima's enforced retirement proved essential for him to complete his chronological history over

1776-543: The Secretariat and the Chancellery , arguing that the latter was redundant: "[The Chancellery] serves no purpose except to double the number of clerks and multiply paperwork." The two departments would be combined in 1129. Cai Que and Zhang Dun would lead the reformist opposition against the conservative restoration. The compulsory Baojia village defense system trained and enrolled nearly 7 million men across

1850-650: The State of Zhao , Xunzi studied at the prestigious Jixia Academy , where he learned about every major philosophical tradition of his time. After his graduation, Xunzi traveled to Chu where he mastered poetry, and then returned to Qi as a highly regarded teacher at the academy. His students Han Fei and Li Si each had important political and academic careers, though some of their Legalist sentiments were at odds with his philosophy. Other students such as Fuqiu Bo  [ zh ] , Zhang Cang and Mao Heng  [ zh ] authored important editions and commentaries on

1924-634: The Tang dynasty onwards. By the rise of Neo-Confucianism in the 10th century, Mencius gradually upended Xunzi, particularly by the choice to include the Mencius in the Four Books . Since the 20th century, a reevaluation of Xunzi's doctrine has taken place in East Asia, leading to recognition of his profound impact and relevance to both his times and present day. Detailed information concerning Xunzi

1998-557: The Xunzi is chapter 23, "Human Nature is Evil". Human nature , known as xing ( 性 ), was a topic which Confucius commented on somewhat ambiguously, leaving much room for later philosophers to expand upon. Xunzi does not appear to know about Shang Yang , but can be compared with him. While Shang Yang believed that people were selfish, Xunzi believed that humanity's inborn tendencies were evil and that ethical norms had been invented to rectify people. His variety of Confucianism therefore has

2072-467: The 3rd century Cao Wei official Sima Fu . A famous anecdote relates the young Sima Guang saving a playmate who had fallen into an enormous vat full of water. As other children scattered in panic, Sima calmly picked up a rock and smashed a hole in the base of the pot. Water leaked out, and his friend was saved. At the age of 6, Sima heard a lecture concerning the Zuo Zhuan , a work of history dating to

2146-463: The 4th century BC. Fascinated, he was able to retell the stories to his family when he returned home. He became an avid reader, "to the point of not recognizing hunger, thirst, coldness or heat". Sima obtained early success as a scholar and officer. When he was barely twenty, he passed the Imperial examination with the highest rank of jìnshì ( 進士 ; 'metropolitan graduate'), and spent

2220-481: The Confucian classics. Later in his life, Xunzi served in the court of Lord Chunshen and died sometime after Lord Chunshen's death. The constant warfare of his time informed his work profoundly, as did his interactions with leaders and witnessing the downfall of various states. Xunzi's writings respond to dozens of other thinkers, whom he often directly names and criticizes. His well-known notion that "Human nature

2294-413: The Confucian classics. The timeline for his academy teaching is unclear, though he seemed to have considered other posts after being slandered . He left Qi in around 265 BCE, around the time when King Jian succeeded Xiang. Xunzi notes that despite Qin's achievements, it is "filled with trepidation. Despite its complete and simultaneous possession of all these numerous attributes, if one weights Qin by

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2368-538: The Song dynasty's defeat at Yongle City during the war with the Western Xia on poor, glory-oriented leadership, while presenting himself as the "savior of the dynasty". As the conservative leader, he headed his coalition to demote reformist leaders to lowly prefectural -level posts (while promoting conservatives into high positions and, one by one, abolished many of the New Policies. He also wanted to combine

2442-462: The Song dynasty's problems, factions developed around how to solve these issues. Conservatives like Sima Guang advocated for a smaller government budget and gradual reform. As such, Sima opposed the New Policies of Wang Anshi , which increased government authority and spending. Sima argued that more state revenue would mean less money for farmers and that the government was immoral for competing with merchants. Somewhat counterintuitively, he emphasized

2516-435: The academy, Xunzi would have learned about all the major philosophical schools of his time, and been in the presence of scholars such as Zou Yan , Tian Pian, and Chunyu Kun . Xunzi would have learned the art of shuo ( 說 ), a formal argument of persuasion that philosophical authorities of the time used to advise rulers. After his academy study, Xunzi unsuccessfully attempted to persuade Lord Mengchang against continuing

2590-429: The administrator of Chenzhou . Zhang Dun continued to resist and pointed out Sima's hypocrisy regarding the law: in early 1086, Sima said that rich households were harmed by the law, while just 14 days later he said that rich households benefitted from their preferential treatment under the law. Zhang also criticized Sima's demand to abolish the law country-wide in a mere 5 days. Indeed, Sima was impressed when Cai Jing ,

2664-497: The aforementioned policies, became a method of revenue extraction. Conservative opposition to this policy was unified and Fan Chunren, the son of Fan Zhongyan , was the only dissenter. His argument that the law could boost the dynasty's base revenue annoyed Sima Guang and he was only saved by Wang Yansou's intervention. This incident revealed the deepening divisions within Sima's coalition that would exacerbate after his death. Following

2738-540: The art, and his now-lost book of poems was well-regarded for many centuries. Chu was under especially frequent attacks from the Qin state , events which Xunzi would later recount in a conversation with Li Si. The solidity of Chu decreased so rapidly that Xunzi left around 275 BCE, returning to the more stable Qi state. He was warmly welcomed back in Qi, and held in very high-regard as an intellectual. The Shiji records that King Xiang of Qi had Xunzi sacrifice wine three times,

2812-527: The authenticity of this information is sometimes questionable. In addition to these, the main source for Xunzi's life is Sima Qian 's Shiji ( 史記 ; Records of the Grand Historian ), which includes a biography of Xunzi ( SJ , 74.12–14) and mentions of him in the biographies of both Li Si ( SJ , 78.15) and Lord of Chunshen ( SJ , 87.1–2, 14). The Western Han dynasty historian Liu Xiang revised and expanded Sima Qian's initial biography for

2886-539: The conservative faction. Sima was an old and tired man in Luoyang and was reluctant to return to the capital, but Cheng Hao convinced him to do so. When Sima arrived in Kaifeng , a large crowd swarmed to touch his horse, and palace guardsmen saluted him as "Prime Minister Sima". He encouraged people to openly express their grievances about the New Policies. Sima was soon made chief councilor by Empress Dowager Gao ,

2960-484: The conservative restoration of 1085. However, Sima was not restored to power following the unpopular Wang's retirement in 1076 since Shenzong took personal control over the New Policies. Cai Que , a semi-reformist leader, blocked Sima's re-appointment to power despite the failure of the war against the Western Xia . Cai nonetheless ingratiated him to the influential Sima by appointing Sima's disciple, Xing Shu , as

3034-517: The differences between Xunzi and Mencius's ideas about human nature and how to become a better person. Xunzi only stated that the "heart" can observe reason, that is, it can distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, but it is not the source of value. So where does the standard come from? According to Xunzi's theory of evil human nature, morality will ultimately become a tool of external value used to maintain social stability and appeal to authoritarianism. Mencius' theory of good human nature, on

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3108-399: The dynasty. Sima criticized the system's detracting from agricultural productivity and its potential for creating bandits. Wang Yansou criticized the unnecessary brutality of the system. In mid-1085, an imperial edict abolished the system in the capital and its surrounding areas, with more restrictions imposed on this system in the following months. Reformist opposition to the system's abolition

3182-429: The established agencies cornered the market in staple goods and became focused on generating revenue. Throughout 1085, executive orders forgave debt owed to the agencies and abolished loan bureaus before abolishing the law altogether. This signaled the turning point for the reformist-conservative conflict. The labor recruitment law replaced corvée labor with professional laborers funded by service exemption fees paid by

3256-429: The extreme policies of Qi, though the historicity of this event is not certain. After the exchange, which is later recounted in his writings, Xunzi likely left Qi between 286 and 284 BCE. Xunzi traveled to the state of Chu by 283 BCE, where he probably became acquainted with the nascent forms of the fu poetry style, particularly because of the poet's Qu Yuan residency there. Xunzi achieved considerable skill in

3330-468: The following one and a half decades. Contemporary accounts relate that, in order to work more and sleep less when he was writing his great opus, the Zizhi Tongjian, he had a wooden pillow made from a log that was designed to slip from under his head whenever he rolled over. He called this Jingzhen 警枕 (Alert Pillow), and used it throughout the period of Zizhi Tongjian 's compilation. Sima rejected

3404-640: The government more effective and argued that his views were in accord with history (in contrast with Wang Anshi 's emphasis on the Classics ) and Heaven-and-Earth . A static and well-maintained country would, according to him, last forever. Accordingly, he disliked commercial growth (which he believed encouraged social change) and preferred a recommendation-based imperial examination system. Rulers were supposed to only determine official assignments, reward achievement, punish failure, care about their servants, have good morals, and be immune to outside influence. On

3478-555: The government under Emperor Zhezong of Song . He used this time in power to repeal many of the New Policies , but he died the following year, in 1086. His death fractured the conservative coalition, which split into the Shuo ( Hebei ) faction, the Luo ( Henan ) faction, and the Shu ( Sichuan ) faction. This ushered in a period of political gridlock from 1086 to 1093. As well as his achievements as

3552-628: The late 4th century BCE. Yet this time also saw considerable innovations in Chinese philosophy , referred to as the Hundred Schools of Thought . The primary schools were Confucianism , Daoism , Legalism , Mohism , the School of Names , and the Yin–Yang School . Xunzi was a philosopher in the tradition of Confucianism, begun by Confucius who lived over two centuries before him. Xunzi

3626-603: The mayor of Kaifeng , was the only one who abolished the law in under 5 days. 21 days after Cai Que resigned, Zhang Dun was demoted to a prefectural-level post after offending Empress Gao during a debate. In spring 1086, Wang Anshi died. The conservative restoration was complete. Nonetheless, the debate over how to remove the labor recruitment law revealed cracks in the conservative coalition. For example, Su Che (and many other conservatives who were typically closely aligned with Sima) argued that "an entire system could not be abolished overnight without serious repercussions" and that

3700-401: The next several years in official positions. Sima believed that civilization was created when the sage kings transformed humans from their original animal state using hierarchical order, property rights, moral instruction, and penal law. He believed that the problem with government was not in its structure, but rather in the people that ran it. He wrote multiple memorials detailing how to make

3774-582: The office but continued to accept Sima's counsel. By 1070, Sima was part of the Hanlin Academy , the Bureau of Military Affairs , and the Council of State . Frustrated with Wang Anshi's dominance over court and despite Shenzong's urging for him to stay, Sima retired to Luoyang in 1071, which would become the center of the conservative opposition. This made Wang largely unopposed in government. Sima

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3848-503: The other hand, states that humans are inherently good and we have an internal value foundation (the Four Beginnings). Music is discussed throughout the Xunzi , particularly in chapter 20, the "Discourse on Music" ( Yuelun ; 樂論 ). Much of the Xunzi's sentiments on music are directed towards Mozi , who largely disparaged music. Mozi held that music provides no basic needs and is a waste of resources and money. Xunzi presents

3922-518: The preface of the first edition of Xunzi's writings. Some minor references to Xunzi also exist in Ying Shao 's paraphrase of Liu Xiang's preface, as well as brief mentions in the Han Feizi , Zhan Guo Ce and Yantie Lun . The Warring States period ( c.  475–221 BCE ), an era of immense disunity and warfare, had been raging for over a hundred years by the time of Xunzi's birth in

3996-404: The promotion of music and the careful application of names . Though he still cited the ancient sages, he differed from other Confucian philosophers by his insistence on emulating recent rulers rather than those of long ago. Repeated oversimplifications and misunderstandings on Xunzi's teachings, particularly his view on human nature, led to gradual dismissal and condemnation of his thought from

4070-449: The protracted, expensive, and ultimately disappointing war against the Western Xia , the conservatives wanted to appease the Western Xia for peace. The concession of Lanzhou to the Xia was highly controversial and, along with 4 fortresses that were ostensibly ceded to Xia, remained a source of border tension for the following decades. The official truce was signed in 1089 and was broken by

4144-531: The regent for Emperor Zhezong and herself a staunch conservative. He and other recalled conservatives like Su Shi , Su Che , Cheng Yi , Cheng Hao , Wang Yansou , Fan Chunren , Wen Yanbo , and Lü Gongzhu formed the Yuanyou faction, named after the current era . Sima made ad hominem denunciations against Wang Anshi, saying: "[Wang] was self-satisfied and self-righteous, and considered himself to be unparalleled by figures past and present." Sima also blamed

4218-411: The richest rural households. Similar to the market exchange law, this law primarily became a method for revenue extraction. Sima argued that the law was simply another tax imposed on the commoners. Cai Que's refusal to remove the labor recruitment law led to his character assassination by the conservatives Liu Chi and Su Che; this pushed him to resign as chancellor of the right and he was reappointed as

4292-449: The roles of the dynastic cycle and Five Phases in legitimizing dynastic succession. For Sima, dynastic succession was instead a result of power struggles; dynasties rose and fell according to consistent factors. He believed that history was a "mirror" for the present and could provide the government with historical context for their current situation. Literati could thus use history as an aid to governance. His histories are structured in

4366-476: The same year, Sima sponsored Su Zhe for a special decree examination . Emperor Shenzong promoted Sima to chief censor in late 1067. He opposed Shenzong's irridentism and favored a defensive stance towards the Uyghurs , Tibetans , Western Xia , and Liao dynasty . Sima hoped that the "barbarians" would commend the Song dynasty's good government. Since the end of the Qingli Reforms in 1045 did not end

4440-465: The similarities between the reasons for Xunzi's promotion of music and those of ancient Greek philosophers . Ultimately, he refused to admit theories of state and administration apart from ritual and self-cultivation, arguing for the gentleman, rather than the measurements promoted by the Legalists, as the wellspring of objective criterion. His ideal gentleman ( junzi ) king and government, aided by

4514-550: The standard of the solid achievements of True Kingship, then the vast degree to which it fails to reach the ideal is manifest. Why is that? It is that it is dangerously lacking in Ru [Confucian] scholars" Xunzi , chp. 16: "On Strengthening the State", 16.6 Xunzi's writings suggest that after leaving Qi he visited Qin, possibly from 265 BCE to 260 BCE. He aimed to convert the state's leaders to follow his philosophy of leadership,

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4588-564: The state's future. The king was unconvinced by Xunzi's persuasion, and did not offer him a post in his court. In around 260 BCE, Xunzi returned to his native Zhao, where he debated military affairs with Lord Linwu ( 臨武君 ) in the court of King Xiaocheng of Zhao . He remained in Zhao until c.  255 BCE. In 240 BCE Lord Chunshen , the prime minister of Chu, invited him to take a position as Magistrate of Lanling ( 蘭陵令 ), which he initially refused and then accepted. However, Lord Chunshen

4662-571: The unifying role of the emperor more than the reformists; he wanted the emperor to manage the bureaucracy and control officials with rewards and punishments, while the reformists wanted to implement new policies for new problems. In response to Emperor Shenzong of Song appointing him as head of the new Office of Expenditure Reduction, Sima released a scathing report that criticized the oversized bureaucracy, imperial extravagance, and an inefficient army and which called for imperial discussion rather than offering specific solutions. Shenzong quickly dissolved

4736-600: Was Xun. He is best known by his honorary title Xunzi ( 荀 子 ) translated to 'Master Xun', with zi being a common epithet for important philosophers. His birthplace was Zhao , a state in the modern-day Shanxi Province of north-central China. It is possible Xunzi was descended from the Xun family, an elite clan that had diminished following the Partition of Jin , though this is only speculation. The Eastern Han dynasty historian Ying Shao records that in his youth Xunzi

4810-428: Was a Chinese philosopher of Confucianism during the late Warring States period . After his predecessors Confucius and Mencius , Xunzi is often ranked as the third great Confucian philosopher of antiquity. By his time, Confucianism had suffered considerable criticism from Daoist and Mohist thinkers, and Xunzi is traditionally regarded as a synthesizer of these traditions with earlier Confucian thought. The result

4884-586: Was a "flowering talent" in matters of scholarship and academics. Essentially nothing else is known of Xunzi's background or upbringing, and thus any attempts to connect his philosophy with either topic are futile. Sometime between age 13 and 15 (297 and 295 BCE), Xunzi traveled to the north eastern state of Qi . There he attended the Jixia Academy , which was the most important philosophical center in Ancient China, established by King Xuan . At

4958-599: Was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer. He was a high-ranking Song dynasty scholar-official who authored the Zizhi Tongjian , a monumental work of history. Sima was a political conservative who opposed the reforms of Wang Anshi . Sima Guang was named after Guang Prefecture , his birthplace, and where his father Sima Chi ( 司馬池 ) served as a county magistrate . The Sima family were originally from Xia County in Shǎn Prefecture , and claimed descent from

5032-554: Was a thorough and cohesive revision of Confucianism, which was crucial to the philosophy's ability to flourish in the Han dynasty and throughout the later history of East Asia . His works were compiled in the eponymous Xunzi , and survive in excellent condition. Unlike other ancient compilations, his authorship of these texts is generally secure, though it is likely that Western Han dynasty historian Liu Xiang organized them into their present form centuries after Xunzi's death. Born in

5106-505: Was assassinated In 238 BCE by a court rival and Xunzi subsequently lost his position. He retired, remained in Lanling, a region in what is today's southern Shandong province, for the rest of his life and was buried there. The year of his death is unknown, though if he lived to see the ministership of his student Li Si, as recounted, he would have lived into his nineties, dying shortly after 219 BCE. The best known and most cited section of

5180-404: Was born as Xun Kuang ( 荀 況 ), probably around 310 BCE but certainly before 279 BCE. In his time, he was probably known as Xun Qing ( 荀 卿 ), meaning 'Minister Xun', or 'Chamberlain Xun', after his later position. Some texts give his surname as Sun (孫) instead of Xun , though this may have been to avoid naming taboo during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han (73–48 BCE), whose given name

5254-555: Was disturbed by the New Policy's control over the dynasty's people and resources. Sima had multiple objections to the New Policies. He believed that: Sima retired in Luoyang from 1071 to 1085. While there, he wrote the Zizhi Tongjian and cultivated friendships with Shao Yong , Cheng Yi , and Cheng Hao . Massive famines and droughts fueled resentment towards Wang Anshi and garnered support for Sima, contributing to

5328-468: Was invited to the palace to introduce his work-in-progress to Emperor Shenzong of Song . The new emperor not only confirmed the interest his father had shown, but showed his favor by bestowing an imperial preface in which he changed the title from Tongzhi ("Comprehensive Records") to Zizhi Tongjian ("Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government"). Scholars interpret the "Mirror" of the title to denote

5402-623: Was possible to become better, but some people refused it. Mencius saw Xing as more related to an ideal state and Xunzi saw it more as a starting state. Even though Mencius had already died when the book was written, the chapter is written like a conversation between the two philosophers. Xunzi's ideas about becoming a good person were more complex than Mencius's. He believed that people needed to change their nature, not just give up on it. Some people thought Xunzi's ideas were strange, but new discoveries suggest that it might have actually been Mencius who had unusual ideas about human nature. The chapter

5476-563: Was weak and primarily logistical rather than ideological. Zhang Dun's call for moderate abolition was reasonable considering the shock that followed the rapid abolishment of the Baojia system. The equal tax law was a system of land evaluation and taxation that was probably the most successful of the New Policies. The law was removed with little opposition in late 1085. The market exchange law established government monopolies that were intended to buy cheap products and sell dear products. However,

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