This book is available to read until 27th January, 2026
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About this book
Xunzi asserted that the original nature of man is evil, differing on this point from Mencius, his famous predecessor in the Confucian school. In the most complete, well-ordered philosophical system of his day, Xunzi advocated the counteraction of man's evil through self-improvement, the pursuit of learning, the avoidance of obsession, and observance of ritual in life. Readers familiar with Xunzi's work will find that Burton Watson's lucid translation breathes new life into this classic. Those new to Xunzi will find his ideas on government, language, and order and safety in society surprisingly close to concerns of our own age.
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Yes, you can access Xunzi by Burton Watson in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Philosophy & Eastern Philosophy. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Topic
PhilosophySubtopic
Eastern PhilosophyIndex
Accomplishment, heavenly
Analects, quoted
Animals, domestic
Annexation, three ways of
Aristocracy, divisions of
Armor
Army, regulations of
Articles, of the dead
Artisans, director of
Ba (dictator; overlord)n Ban Gu
Bao Shu
Bi (obsession)
Bi Gan
Bigong
BilĆ¼ (sword)
Birth, ritual and
Bo Qi
Bo Ya
Book of Documents; quoted
Book of Odes; quoted
Book of Rites (Liji)
Cang Jie
Chen Xiao
Cheng, Marquis
Cheng Tang, see Tang (sage king)
Chong (ruler)
Chu (state)
Chui
Chunshen, lord of
āClassic of the Way,ā quoted
Communities, director of
Community drinking ceremony (xiang)
Confucianism
Confucius; quoted
Cong (sword)
Da Ji
Dai, Master (Dai Busheng)
Daxiang (sacrifice)
Death, ritual and
Demons
Desires
Dictates, heavenly
Dictator (ba)
Disorder passim
Distinctions, in society
Dong Zhongshu
Dubs, Horner H.
Duyvendak, J.J.L.
Eclipses
Education passim
Emotions, heavenly
Environment
Evil, basic, in manās nature
Expedients, five, of warfare
Extremities, three, of warfare
Faculties, heavenly
Fanruo (bow)
Fei Lian
Fields, administrator of
Filial piety
Force, use of; as means of annexing territory
Form, proper, in music
Fouyou
Funerals
Ganjiang (sword)
Gaozong (King Wuding)
General, qualifications of
Gentleman, behavior of passim passim
Ghosts
Godliness, education as
Gong Gong
Gongsun Long
Goodness, produced by evil
Goods, use of
Goujian, King, of Yue
Government; as function of the sage passim; and the rectification of names passim
Grand protector
Grand tutor
Guan Longfeng
Guan Zhong
Guanzi
Han (state)
Han Feizi
Handicapped, the physically
Hanshi waizhuan
Hattori Unokichi
Heart
Heaven
HelĆ¼, King, of Wu
Hierarchy, moral
Hu (sword)
Hu Ba
Huai, King, of Chu
Hualiu (horse)
Huan, Duke, of Qi
Huan Dou
Hui Shi (Huizi)
Impersonator of the de...
Table of contents
- CoverĀ
- Half title
- Editorial Board
- Title
- Copyright
- ContentsĀ
- Outline of Early Chinese History
- Preface
- Introduction
- Encouraging Learning
- Improving Yourself
- The Regulations of a King
- Debating Military Affairs
- A Discussion of Heaven
- A Discussion of Rites
- A Discussion of Music
- Dispelling Obsession
- Rectifying Names
- Manās Nature Is Evil
- Index
- Series List