Xun Zi: Right

Xun Zi was Ancient Chinese philosopher. Explore interesting quotes on right.
Xun Zi: 26   quotes 2   likes

“The straightening board was created because of warped wood, and the plumb line came into being because of things that are not straight. Rulers are established and ritual and rightness are illuminated because the nature is evil.”

Xun Zi

Sources of Chinese Tradition (1999), vol. 1, p. 182
Human nature is evil

Nature , Evil

“A questioner asks: If human nature is evil, then where do ritual and rightness come from? I reply: ritual and rightness are always created by the conscious activity of the sages.”

Xun Zi

Sources of Chinese Tradition (1999), vol. 1, p. 180
Human nature is evil

Question , Nature , Evil

“The gentleman knows that whatever is imperfect and unrefined does not deserve praise. … He makes his eyes not want to see what is not right, makes his ears not want to hear what is not right, makes his mouth not want to speak what is not right, and makes his heart not want to deliberate over what is not right. … For this reason, power and profit cannot sway him, the masses cannot shift him, and nothing in the world can shake him.”

Xun Zi

Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy (2001), p. 260
An Exhortation to Learning

World , Heart

“A person who is transformed by the instructions of a teacher, devotes himself to study, and abides by ritual and rightness may become a noble person, while one who follows his nature and emotions, is content to give free play to his passions, and abandons ritual and rightness is a lesser person.”

Xun Zi

Sources of Chinese Tradition (1999), vol. 1, p. 180
Human nature is evil

Nature , Study , Teachers , Passion

“Human nature is evil; its goodness derives from conscious activity. Now it is human nature to be born with a fondness for profit. Indulging this leads to contention and strife, and the sense of modesty and yielding with which one was born disappears. One is born with feelings of envy and hate, and, by indulging these, one is led into banditry and theft, so that the sense of loyalty and good faith with which he was born disappears. One is born with the desires of the ears and eyes and with a fondness for beautiful sights and sounds, and, by indulging these, one is led to licentiousness and chaos, so that the sense of ritual, rightness, refinement, and principle with which one was born is lost. Hence, following human nature and indulging human emotions will inevitably lead to contention and strife, causing one to rebel against one’s proper duty, reduce principle to chaos, and revert to violence. Therefore one must be transformed by the example of a teacher and guided by the way of ritual and rightness before one will attain modesty and yielding, accord with refinement and ritual, and return to order.”

Xun Zi

Sources of Chinese Tradition (1999), vol. 1, pp. 179-180
Human nature is evil

Hate , Faith , Beauty , Way