Xunzi is a master of Confucianism. He developed Confucianism while absorbing the legalist theory. He respects the king and also dominates power; Advocating etiquette and justice, but also stressing the rule of law; At the same time, it advocates that "the law is king."
Mencius founded the theory of good nature, emphasizing self-cultivation; Xunzi's theory of evil nature emphasizes acquired learning. All these show that he is different from the direct Confucianism. He also put forward some simple materialistic views, such as man can conquer nature, oppose fatalism, and everything changes according to the laws of nature.
There are thirty-two articles in Xunzi today, except for a few chapters, most of which were written by him. His articles are good at reasoning, clear-cut, thorough analysis, good at giving examples, and often use parallelism to enhance the momentum of discussion. Language is full of warning, strong persuasion and appeal.
Extended data
Xunzi's famous epigram
1, lack of study. Green is taken from blue, and green is blue; Ice, water, but colder than water. -"Encourage learning"
It means: learning can't stop. Indigo is extracted from bluegrass, but bluer than bluegrass; Ice is condensed from water, but it is cooler than water.
Da Qiao didn't do anything, and Dazhi wasn't worried. -"The Theory of Heaven"
Meaning: the greatest wisdom lies in not doing what you can't or shouldn't do, and the greatest wisdom lies in not considering what you can't or shouldn't consider.
3, so the wood is straight by the rope, the gold is sharp, and the gentleman is knowledgeable and saves himself, so he knows and does nothing. -"Encourage learning"
It means: so the wood becomes straight after being measured by chalk line, and the metal sword can be sharpened when it is taken to the grindstone. A gentleman learns from others and introspects every day, so he will be wise and rational, and his behavior will be innocent.
4, do not climb the mountain, I don't know the height of the sky; Don't face the deep stream, I don't know the thickness of the ground; You didn't know the greatness of learning until you heard the last words of the late king. -"Encourage learning"
It means: if you don't climb the mountain, you don't know how high the sky is; I don't know how thick the ground is without facing the deep stream; If you don't understand the legacy of the emperor, you won't know the breadth of knowledge.
5. God is greater than enlightenment, and joy is greater than harmlessness. -"Encourage learning"
It means: spiritual cultivation is nothing more than being influenced by morality, and happiness is nothing more than no disaster.
Baidu encyclopedia-Xunzi