荀子

Xúnzǐ

proper noun

Meanings

1 Xunzi, Confucian philosopher
2 the Xunzi, classical text attributed to him

About Xunzi

c. 313–238 BC · 思想家 thinker

Confucian thinker of the late Warring States who taught that human nature is bad, 性恶, and is made good only by learning and ritual. His essay 劝学 is studied in Chinese schools; 韩非 and 李斯 were his students.

Also called 荀况、荀卿

Characters

master (honorific for philosophers)

Examples

HSK 6

《荀子》是先秦重要的思想著作。

《 Xúnzǐ 》 shì Xiānqín zhòngyào de sīxiǎng zhùzuò.

The Xunzi is a major pre-Qin philosophical work.

HSK 7-9

荀子认为人性本恶。

Xúnzǐ rènwéi rénxìng běn è.

Xunzi held that human nature is originally bad.

In Pop Culture

荀子 Xúnzǐ

Xunzi

Late Warring States Confucian thinker, born in the state of Zhao. Best known for arguing that human nature is inherently bad (性恶论), opposite to Mencius's 性善论, and that only education and ritual produce virtue. His students Han Fei and Li Si became founding figures of Legalism.

Stroke Order

荀 xún

子 zǐ

荀子