This paper comprehensively and profoundly discusses the problems related to learning from the aspects of the importance, attitude, content and method of learning, which systematically embodies Xunzi's educational thought. The full text can be divided into four paragraphs, the first paragraph expounds the importance of learning, the second paragraph expounds the correct attitude towards learning, the third paragraph describes the content and method of learning, and the fourth paragraph expounds the final destination of learning. The language of the article is concise, the metaphor is appropriate, the reasoning is in-depth and the structure is rigorous, which represents the level of the mature stage of pre-Qin essays.
The original text of "encouraging learning"
Persuade sb. to study
Mr. Wang said: I can't learn.
Green is taken from blue, and green is blue; Ice, water, but colder than water. Wood is straight in the rope, not a wheel, and its curve is in the gauge. Although there is a crisis, those who stop coming forward will make it happen. Therefore, the wood is straight by the rope, the gold is sharp, the gentleman is knowledgeable, and he saves himself every day, so he knows clearly without fault.
So, if you don't climb the mountain, you don't know the height of the sky. Don't face the deep stream, I don't know the thickness of the ground; I didn't know the greatness of learning until I heard the last words of my late king. The sons of Gan, Yue, Yi and Xun were born in unison, long and different, and naturally educated. The poem says, "Dear Sir, there is no constant rest. Jing * * *, good is integrity. " God will be blessed if he listens. "God is greater than Tao, and joy is greater than harmlessness.
Think all day long, it is better to learn it in a moment; I've tasted it and I'm looking forward to it. Let's go hiking. Climb a trick, the arm does not lengthen, but the person you see is far away; Call with the wind, the sound does not add disease, but the listener is obvious. Those who cheat horses are not good enough, but cause thousands of miles; A man who pretends to be a boat can't swim, but he can't swim. The life of a gentleman is the same, and the goodness lies in personal leave.
In the south, there is a bird named Meng Dui, whose nest is feathers, whose hair is woven and whose reed is tied. When the wind breaks, the egg broken child dies. The nest is endless, but so are the people connected with it. There is a kind of wood in the west called Shegan. Its stem is four inches long, and it was born on a high mountain. However, in the abyss, the wooden pole can't grow out, but it stands naturally. In the bitter fleabane bitter fleabane, I can't bear to go straight; White sand is nirvana, and it is black. Lan Huaigen is a cheese, but he grows up, and the gentleman is not close, so he refuses to accept it. Its quality is not beautiful, but it is also gradual. Therefore, a gentleman must choose his hometown when he is born, and he must be a scholar when he travels. Therefore, we must also guard against evil and righteousness.
Everything has a beginning and an end. When honor or disgrace comes, it will be like virtue. Meat rots into adults, and fish withers into moths. Ignoring and forgetting your body is a disaster. Strong cultivation, soft cultivation. Evil is in the body, and resentment is in the structure. Wages are the same, the fire is dry, the ground is the same, and the water is wet. Vegetation is born, birds and animals are numerous, and things are human beings. Is a piece of nature, bows and arrows are very important; Lin, and the axe is heavy; Trees provide shade, but birds rest. Acyl acid, but not. Therefore, words are troublesome, actions are humiliating, and gentlemen are cautious about words!
Accumulated soil becomes mountains, and the wind and rain are prosperous; The water drops merged into the ocean and the dragon was born; Accumulate goodness into virtue, the gods are complacent, and the sacred heart is prepared. Therefore, you can't take Wan Li Road without accumulating steps; If you don't accumulate small streams, you won't be a river. Leap, not ten steps; This is a great contribution to the success of Ma Xu. Perseverance, rotten wood can't be carved; Perseverance, the stone can be carved. Earthworms do not have the advantages of minions, and their bones and muscles are strong. They eat the earth and drink the yellow land with their hearts. The crab kneels six times and pinches twice. It's not that the snake hole has no sustenance, it's also impetuous.
Therefore, people with ulterior motives have no bright future; He made much ado about nothing, which has nothing to do with hehe. Those who follow the right path will not come, and those who follow the right path will not allow it. Eyes can't see, ears can't hear. The viper flies without feet, and the mouse is poor in five skills. "Poetry" says: "The corpse dove is in Sang, and her son is seven. A good gentleman with good moral character is always a polite person. " Like a knot in one's heart! "Therefore, the gentleman is bound to one.
In the past, I played drums, but the fish listened; Boya Guqin, while Liu Ma raises Yuan. Therefore, the sound is not small but not heard, and the line is not hidden but not shaped. Jade is moist in the mountains, pearls are born in the deep, and cliffs are not withered. Do good without accumulating evil? Did anyone not hear?
Learn evil from scratch? Evil in the end? Yue: its number begins with chanting and ends with reading ceremony; Its significance begins with being a scholar and ends with being a saint. If you really accumulate strength for a long time, you will enter, and if you learn, you will stop. Therefore, there is an end to the number of students. If it is just, it cannot be abandoned for a moment. For it, people are also; Give up, so do animals. Therefore, this book is the discipline of political affairs; Poet, the stop of the middle voice; Etiquette, the main points of law, class discipline. Therefore, learning must stop at ceremony. Husband is called the extreme of morality. The respect of ceremony, the harmony of music, the abundance of poetry and books, the micro-spring and autumn, between heaven and earth.
The learning of a gentleman is also in the ear, in the heart, in the four bodies, and in the dynamic shape. Finally, as long as you move, you can become law. The knowledge of villains is also heard, not spoken; Between the mouth and ears, four inches, seven feet of beauty! Ancient scholars were themselves, and today's scholars are people. The study of a gentleman is also for beauty; Little people learn that birds are calves. Therefore, if you don't ask, you will be proud of it, and if you ask, you will be proud of it. Proud, no, ooh, no; A gentleman is like a man.
Learn not to be close to others. Rites and music are not mentioned, poetry and books are not cut, and the Spring and Autumn Period is unhappy. If you learn from a gentleman, you will respect him all over the world. Therefore, learning ink is almost close to people.
Learning classics is not as fast as learning good people, followed by long rituals. You can't be a good person in the world, and you can't be a gift in the next life. Ante can learn miscellaneous knowledge, poetry and books. Then, in the last poor years, it is inevitable that there will be rude Confucianism. The original king, benevolence and righteousness, then courtesy is in its latitude and longitude. If you pat your collar with five fingers, there will be countless followers. If you don't respect the Constitution, you can't use it to measure rivers, use it as a tool and use it as a cone. Therefore, although Longli is unknown, he is also a lawyer; If you don't give a long gift, you will scatter Confucianism, although you will argue.
If you ask, don't sue; Don't ask if you told anyone; Don't listen to those who talk. Don't argue with people who live up to expectations. Therefore, we should learn from it and then pick it up; Avoid it unless it is the way. Therefore, return the courtesy before you can talk to the parties; Words are fluent, and then words and deeds can be consistent and justified; Therefore, color can be followed by words and actions. Therefore, it cannot be said in words that this is pride; Can have nothing to say, that is hidden; In terms of color, it's called ugliness. Therefore, a gentleman is not proud, not hiding, not jealous, let nature take its course. The poem says: "bandits are free, and the son of heaven gives them." This is also called.
One shot in every shot is not good enough to shoot; A thousand miles is not enough, and good is not enough; Learning badly is because ethics has nothing to do with human nature. Those who learn well will learn well. Once in the way, once in the way, the person who draws the lane is also; There are fewer good people, more bad people, and stealing feet. All the people, and scholars.
A gentleman knows that her husband is not perfect and can't think of beauty, so he recites it consistently and thinks it over, so as to treat others and educate people. Make eyes have no desire to see, ears have no desire to listen, mouth has nothing to say, and heart has nothing to worry about. When you are good at time, your eyes are good with five colors, your ears are good with five tones, your mouth is good with five flavors, and your heart benefits the world. Therefore, rights cannot be dumped, the masses cannot be moved, and the world cannot be shaken. Life depends on reason, death depends on reason, and husband is called virtue. Fuck, then you decide, then you decide, then you respond. If a husband can respond positively, he is an adult. The sky sees its light and the earth sees its light, and the gentleman values all this.
Sentence annotation
Gentleman: refers to a learned and cultivated person.
I have to learn (yǐ): I have to learn.
Green comes from blue: indigo comes from blue grass. Cyan, indigo, a dye. Blue, Polygonum blue, broomcorn millet, leaves contain blue juice, which can be used as blue dyes.
Zhòng rope: (wood) straight ink line. Rope, chalk line.
Róu: a bronze official, an ancient craft of baking bent wood strips with fire.
Gauge: compass, a tool for drawing circles.
Although there is a storm (Pò u): even if it is dry. Yes, pass "again". Fuck, fuck. Violence, with "exposure", drying.
Beautiful: straight.
Take-up rope: measure with ink line.
Gold: refers to metal swords, etc. Just sharpen it: take it to the grindstone and grind it. Sharpen, sharpen this stone. Just, verb, approach, approach.
Japanese ginseng (cān) province (xǐng) depends on itself: reflect on yourself every day. Reference, translation, inspection and testing; The second translation is the same as "three", many times. Provincial inspection. Hu, preposition, Yu. Erudition: To learn extensively. Day: Every day.
Zhiì: Know "wisdom", wisdom. Ming: Minda. There is no fault in behavior.
Last words: old adage.
Gan (hán): Same as "Han", it was called in ancient times and was destroyed by the State of Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period. It is located in the northeast of Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province and refers to the State of Wu. Yi people: An ancient people living in the east of China. Miao (mò): Tong Miao is an ancient nation living in the northeast of China.
You are a Gentleman: For the quotation, see The Book of Songs, Xiaoya Xiaoming. Jing, an. * * *, through "for". Introduce, give. King, big.
Y: Later, later.
Qǐ: stand on tiptoe.
Bo Jian: See widely.
Disease: loud voice.
Akira: Obviously, very clearly. The meaning here is to hear more clearly.
False: rely on, use. Y: Carriage, here refers to the car.
Li Zu: Feet walk fast.
Water: swimming.
Translation of "Encouraging Learning"
The gentleman said: learning can't stop.
Indigo is extracted from bluegrass, but its color is darker than bluegrass. Ice is condensed from water, but it is cooler than water. The wood is straight enough to conform to the straight ink line. If the wheel is made by painting, the radian of the wood conforms to the standard of circle. Even if it is dried by the wind and the sun, the wood will not be straight again, because it has been processed like this. Therefore, wood can be measured with ink lines, straightened with auxiliary tools, sharpened with swords on grindstones, and a gentleman can study extensively and reflect on himself every day, then he will be wise and his behavior will not be wrong.
Therefore, 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. Children of michel platini, Vietnamese, foreigners and raccoons cry at birth with the same sound, but their customs are different when they grow up. This is because of education. The Book of Songs says, "You are a gentleman, don't always covet comfort. Respect your work and love the virtue of integrity. The gods will give you good luck and blessings when they hear all this. " There is no greater spiritual accomplishment than being influenced by morality, and there is no greater blessing than not having a disaster.
I used to think all day and didn't learn much in an instant; I once stood on tiptoe and looked at it from a distance, but I didn't see it as wide as when I was climbing. Wave when you climb high, your arms are not lengthened, but others can see you in the distance; Calling with the wind will not get louder, but the listener can hear clearly in the distance. With the help of chariots and horses, people can walk Wan Li Road without walking fast; People who use boats and boats are not good at swimming, but they can cross the river. A gentleman's qualification is no different from that of ordinary people, but he is good at using foreign things.
In the south, there is a bird called "Mongolian pigeon", which takes feathers as its nest, weaves with hair and ties it to the ear of a tender reed. When the wind blows, the reed spike breaks, the bird's nest falls down and all the eggs are smashed. It's not that the nest is poorly woven, but that it shouldn't be tied to reeds. In the west, there is a kind of grass called "Belamcanda", which grows on a high mountain. It is only four inches high, but it can overlook a hundred miles away. Not because grass can grow tall, but because it grows on the top of the mountain. Pennisetum grows in hemp fields and can stand upright without support. White sand will not turn white when mixed into black soil. The root of Sophora japonica is called Ai Xiang. Once it is immersed in smelly water, gentlemen and servants will avoid it. It's not that Ai itself is not fragrant, but that it is soaked and stinks. Therefore, a gentleman should choose a good environment to live and a moral person to make friends, so as to prevent delay and protect his moderation and integrity.
Everything happens for a reason, and the arrival of honor and disgrace also corresponds to virtue. Rotten meat gives birth to maggots, while dead fish give birth to worms. If you slack off and forget the code of conduct, something will happen. Objects that are too hard are easily broken, and those that are too weak are easily bound. If you are not nice to people, it will cause disgust. Dry wood is flammable, low-lying and easy to wet, and there are many animals and plants. Everything is like sheep. Therefore, when the target is set, the bow and arrow will be shot. When a tree grows into a forest, it will lead to axe cutting. When the forest is lush and shady, birds will come to stay. When vinegar turns sour, it will attract mosquitoes. Therefore, words may cause trouble and actions may be humiliated. A gentleman can't help being cautious when dealing with people.
Earth and rock piled up into mountains, from which wind and rain started; Water flows into the abyss, and dragons are born from it; Accumulate good deeds, cultivate noble morality, improve spirit, and thus have the state of mind of a saint. Therefore, without the accumulation of half a step, there is no way to reach thousands of miles away; Without the accumulation of tiny flowing water, there is no way to merge into the rivers and seas. The horse jumped less than ten paces; A bad horse walks for ten days in a row, and its success lies in its non-stop. If you stop carving a few times, then the rotten wood will continue to carve. If you insist on carving, then this stone can be carved successfully. Earthworms have no sharp claws and teeth, and no strong bones and muscles, but they can eat the soil and drink the underground spring water, because they are single-minded. A crab has six legs and two claws, but it has nowhere to hide without snakes and eels, because it is impetuous.
Therefore, without the will to study hard, there will be no significant academic achievements; Without hard work, there will be no great achievements in career. Neither side will tolerate a man who can't get to his destination on the wrong road and serves two monarchs at the same time. The eyes cannot see two things at the same time and see clearly, and the ears cannot hear two sounds at the same time and hear clearly. A poisonous snake can fly without feet, and a mouse has five skills, but there is still no way. The Book of Songs says: "Cuckoo nests in mulberry trees and has seven young birds. A good gentleman should be single-minded and impartial. Only when you are single-minded and not biased, your will will be rock solid. " Therefore, a gentleman is determined and single-minded.
In ancient times, there were harpists, and the fish in the water surfaced to listen. Boya played the piano, and the horse pulling the cart would stop to eat and listen with its head up. Therefore, the sound will not be heard because it is weak, and the behavior will not be discovered because it is hidden. If Baoyu is buried in a deep mountain, the vegetation is moist, and if pearls fall into the abyss, the cliff shore will not dry up. Good deeds can be accumulated, and they are not widely told. How can they be accumulated into virtues?
Where should learning begin and end? A: According to its practice, it should start with reading poems and other classics and end with reading the Book of Rites. In its sense, it begins with learning and ends with becoming a saint. Sincere practice, such long-term accumulation, will certainly be able to deeply understand the fun, learn to die. Therefore, although the tutorial of learning has an end, the desire to make progress cannot be slackened for a moment. It takes a lifetime to learn to be a man, and vice versa. Shangshu is a record of political affairs; The Book of Songs is a summary of one's heart. The Book of Rites is the premise of the legal system and the general program of various regulations, so you can't finish it until you learn the Book of Rites, which is the pinnacle of morality. The Book of Rites respects the ceremony, the Book of Rites speaks in harmony, the Book of Songs and the Book of History are profound and profound, and the Spring and Autumn Annals is righteous and has covered all the university questions between heaven and earth.
A gentleman's knowledge is obvious, which is manifested in his dignified behavior and his behavior in line with etiquette. Every move, even the slightest words and deeds, can set an example for others. Little people learn from their ears and from their mouths, only four inches apart. How can they perfect their seven-foot figure? The study of the ancients is the demand of their own moral cultivation, but today's study is just to show off others. Gentlemen learn to improve themselves, while villains learn to show off and grandstanding, and take knowledge as gifts such as poultry and calves to win praise. Therefore, it is impetuous to teach others without asking your advice; Asking and answering two questions is lengthy; Impetuousness and wordiness are wrong. A gentleman's question and answer should be like an empty valley, no more, no less, just right.
Nothing is more convenient than getting close to your tutor. "Book of Rites" and "Yue Ji" have statutes but are too rough; The Book of Songs and Shangshu are simple but not close to reality. Chunqiu is implicit but not thorough enough; It is noble and comprehensive to imitate a good teacher and learn from a gentleman, and it can also reach the world. So learning is nothing more convenient than getting close to the tutor.
Respecting the tutor is the most convenient way to learn, followed by advocating etiquette. If you don't respect the teacher or salute in class, just read some miscellaneous books and explain the Book of Songs and Shangshu, then you will only be a scholar all your life. To study the wisdom of saints and seek the root of benevolence and righteousness, the shortcut to mastery is to start with etiquette. It's like bending your five fingers and lifting the collar of a fur robe. When you eat, your hair will be completely smooth Not learning manners is like measuring a river with your fingers, holding millet with your fingers, and getting something to eat in a rice cooker with an awl. Therefore, respecting etiquette, even if the knowledge is not thorough and clear, can still be regarded as a moral and cultivated person; If you have no manners, even if you can distinguish right from wrong and be eloquent, you are just a shallow Confucian scholar without real cultivation.
If someone comes to you for an impolite question, don't answer it; Talk about impolite things, don't ask questions; Say rude things in front of you, don't participate; Don't argue with savage and competitive people. Therefore, it is necessary to conform to the principle of propriety and righteousness before giving reception; Avoid people who don't conform to the principle of propriety and righteousness; Therefore, only respectful and polite people can talk about the purpose of Tao; Only those who are fluent in writing can talk about the content of Tao; Only people with sincere attitude can talk about the profound meaning of Tao. Therefore, talking to someone who can't talk is called impetuous; Don't talk to people who can talk to you, that's neglect; Talking casually without looking at the other person's reaction is called blindness. Therefore, a gentleman should not be impetuous, careless or blind. He should be careful with everyone who comes for advice. The Book of Songs says: "It is the son of heaven who praises you for not being impetuous or negligent." That's the truth.
An arrow in a hundred shots is not a good arrow if it doesn't hit the target; Car Ma Qianli, only half a step away, is not a good driver; You can't master ethical norms, adhere to the principle of benevolence and righteousness, and of course you can't be considered good at learning. Learning is a matter that needs full attention. Learning for a while and stopping for a while are ordinary people in the market. There are few good behaviors and many bad behaviors. Jay, Zhou and Tuo are all such people. A scholar can only be considered if he can master the knowledge he has learned comprehensively and thoroughly.
A gentleman knows that learning is not perfect, so he reads a set of books to achieve mastery, understands through thinking and exploration, practices through imitating a tutor, and removes his wrong habitual temperament to maintain. I don't want to see if my eyes are wrong, I don't want to listen if my ears are wrong, I don't want to talk if my mouth is wrong, and I don't want to think if my heart is wrong. When you reach the ideal state of concentrating on your study, you will be as eager to have colorful eyes, good ears and good mouth as you are. If this is done, then there will be no evil thoughts in front of power and selfish desires, many people will not give in, and nothing in the world can shake their beliefs. Living is like this, and it will not change until death. This is called moral integrity. Only with virtue and integrity can we be firm, and only with perseverance can we improvise. If you can be firm and improvise, you are a mature and perfect person. At that time, the sky will be bright and the land will be wide, and the value of a gentleman lies in the perfection of virtue.
Appreciation of "Stimulating Learning"
Focusing on the central argument that "learning alone is not enough", this paper expounds the significance, function, attitude, content, method and purpose of learning in an orderly and hierarchical manner. This article can be divided into four paragraphs.
The first paragraph, from the beginning to "a gentleman is cautious about independence", expounds the necessity of learning and choosing a good learning environment. At the beginning, "the gentleman said: you can't learn." This is not only the first sentence of the article "Encouraging Learning", but also the first sentence of Xunzi's whole work. Xunzi believes that human nature is "evil" and must be corrected by courtesy, so he attaches great importance to learning. The theory of evil nature is the starting point of Xunzi's social and political thought. In his works, he first proposed that learning should not stop, just to grasp the key and solve the fundamental problems. Because he attaches great importance to this issue, he puts forward his own views through the mouth of a "gentleman" to show his solemnity.
The central argument was put forward at the beginning, and the language was concise and profound, which naturally led to the following discussion. Take "green, take it from blue, and green is blue; Ice, water is for it, but it is colder than water ",which means that anyone can make progress by studying hard." Today, I can surpass yesterday, and students can surpass teachers. These two metaphors greatly inspire and inspire learners. However, to achieve "shine on you is better than blue" and "colder than water" is by no means "study today and drop out tomorrow". We must keep learning, which means "learning alone is not enough". Therefore, these two metaphors profoundly and powerfully clarify the central argument and inspire people to forge ahead. Then, the article further sets up a metaphor to fundamentally clarify this truth: "The wood is straight in the rope, thinking it is a wheel, and its curve is in the rules." Even if there is a storm, those who no longer stand up will be forced to do so. "Give learners greater encouragement. After emphasizing the important role of learning, the article draws a conclusion by metaphor: "Therefore, if you have a rope, you will be straight, and if you have a sharp gold, you will benefit. A knowledgeable gentleman saved himself when he participated in Japan, knowing that he had done nothing wrong. "
Wood will straighten when measured with chalk lines, and a metal sword will sharpen when placed on a grindstone. This is like a gentleman who reads widely and checks himself every day, so he will be well-read and have no mistakes in his behavior. It is more convincing to draw a conclusion through metaphor. The word "day" in the judgment sentence closely echoes the word "already" in the first sentence, which highlights that if you want to "know clearly and act correctly", you must keep learning, thus effectively clarifying the central argument. This passage shows the great significance of learning in changing people's quality and improving people's intelligence. Learning is of great significance. Xunzi believes that learning can't just sit in the room and think hard, but must use external things to learn from reality. So "I've been thinking all day, it's better to finish what I've learned in a short time." Xunzi emphasized that learning was not as good as daydreaming's through personal experience and the contrast between "thinking all day" and "learning in an instant". The word "learning" as opposed to fantasy is self-evident, that is, using external things to learn from reality. This view of learning was also put forward by Xunzi based on his epistemology.
Xunzi denied Mencius' view that people have innate "conscience" and "goodness", so he emphasized learning from practical things outside. The concept of "learning" put forward by him here has materialistic factors. Then, with five metaphors, Xunzi started with his own life experience: standing on a high place can see more than standing on tiptoe; Climb up and wave, shout with the wind, the arm is not long, the voice is not big, but people can see and hear clearly from a distance; It can be seen that the utilization of high places and downwind is of great significance. By extension, people who "fake horses" and "fake boats" are not good at walking or swimming, but they can "walk Wan Li Road" and "cross the river". Because the examples used in metaphor are very common in daily life, it feels not only kind but also credible. With the constant metaphor, the truth expounded goes deeper and deeper into the reader's mind, and it will naturally come to the conclusion that "gentlemen are the same, and good and evil are also things". That is to say, gentlemen are more talented than ordinary people because they are good at using foreign things to study hard.
It can be inferred that if a person is good at using foreign things and studies hard, he can also become a gentleman with talent and virtue. This is consistent with the first paragraph "Shine on you, ice is cooler than water, and straight wood can be used as a wheel", with the same meaning and dark structure. In addition, Xunzi linked "what he learned" with "which is good and which is false". "This means that the purpose of learning is to understand the laws of objective things and use these laws to transform the objective world." (Quoted from Yan Beiying's explanation of "encouraging learning") This is also related to his thought of "dominating fate". This paragraph shows that learning must be good at using foreign things.
Creation background
The important representatives of Confucianism in the Warring States period were Mencius and Xunzi. Mencius advocated the idea that "the industrious people govern the people, and the industrious people govern the people" to defend the ruling class, while Xunzi believed that human beings could conquer nature and should use nature to serve mankind. His disciples Han Fei and Li Si became important representatives of legalists at the end of the Warring States Period.
Brief introduction of the author
Xunzi (about 365438 BC+03 BC-238 BC), Ming Qing, was born in Huaxia (Han nationality) and Zhao at the end of the Warring States Period. A famous thinker, writer and politician, he was honored as "Xun Qing". It was also called in the Western Han Dynasty because it avoided the taboo of Emperor Gaozu, and because the two words "Xun" and "Sun" had the same ancient sound. He served as a drinking ceremony for Xia Ji Gong Xue in Qi State for three times, and was later ordered by Chu Lanling (located in Lanling County, Shandong Province).
Xunzi developed Confucianism. On the issue of human nature, he advocated the theory of evil nature, advocated that human nature was evil, denied the innate moral concept, and emphasized the influence of acquired environment and education on people. His theory is often compared with Mencius' theory of good nature by later generations, and Xunzi has also made considerable contributions to sorting out Confucian classics. But compared with Confucius and Mencius, Xunzi's thought is more realistic. While paying attention to etiquette and moral education, he also emphasized the punishment function of the political and legal system.