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Xunzi Assignments
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November 12
[Reading: Xunzi, "Discourse on Nature," pp. 14-22 (in coursepack available from http://www.pipmid.com)]
- We have good reason to believe that one of Xunzi's goals was to defend Confucianism against Taoists (note that he mentions Lao-tzu (Laozi) on p. 22).
- The poem on pp. 20-1 is meant as an attack on the Taoists. How might Tao Te Ching be accused of "miss[ing] the essential nature of the myriad things"?
- Earlier Confucians had made clear that their tao involved following the will or mandate of t'ian (heaven or nature).
- At the top of page 17, though, Xunzi seems to be saying that rulers (actually, a better translation might just have "you yourself" where Knoblock has "the ruler himself") should heed the tao rather than t'ian. What's going on? What has changed?
November 14
[Reading: "Discourse on Ritual Principles," pp. 55-73.]
- What relation do you see between t'ian, tao, and the rites? Where do the rites come from? What makes them right for us to follow?
November 19
[Reading: "Dispelling Blindness," pp. 100-12, and "Man's Nature is Evil," pp. 150-62.]
- What is the problem that Xunzi labels "blindness"? Do you find Xunzi's account of how it can be overcome plausible?
- In "Man's Nature is Evil," is Xunzi's view really as opposed to Mencius's as it appears? What arguments does Xunzi use to defend his position? Which view do you find more convincing?
| Copyright 1999-2002
Stephen C. Angle
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