This article scrutinizes three texts about Xun Zi written during the Qin-Han period： the final part of ＂The Questions of Yao＂ in the Xunzi, a rebuttal by one of Xun Zi＇s disciples of the idea that Xun Zi was infer...This article scrutinizes three texts about Xun Zi written during the Qin-Han period： the final part of ＂The Questions of Yao＂ in the Xunzi, a rebuttal by one of Xun Zi＇s disciples of the idea that Xun Zi was inferior to Confucius; ＂Mencius and Xun Zi＂ by Sima Qian in his Records of the Grand Historian; and the Annotated Book of the Xunzi by Liu Xiang. We explore the images of Xun Zi as a great Confucian （大儒） that emerge from these texts, as well as their authors＇ motives for writing. These texts are understood within three contexts： first, the self-identification of a Confucian; second, the dispute between Confucianism and Daoism; and lastly, the distinction between the classics and the annals and biographies. Due to their different discourse environments, Xun Zi＇s great Confucian image project a different significance in each： in one, he is a model of action who can act in accordance with perfected morality; in another, he is a model of ＂private words,＂ who can counter the philosophers of his day and become the teacher of kings; and finally, he is a model of ＂official learning,＂ able to use his knowledge of the classics in practical statecraft and elucidate the kingly Way. Overall, these three texts represent three types of discourse on a great Confucian. At thesame time, they also exhibit their writers＇ consciousness of their times and their views of the genealogy of daotong, or transmission of the Way; hence their significance for intellectual history.展开更多
文摘This article scrutinizes three texts about Xun Zi written during the Qin-Han period： the final part of ＂The Questions of Yao＂ in the Xunzi, a rebuttal by one of Xun Zi＇s disciples of the idea that Xun Zi was inferior to Confucius; ＂Mencius and Xun Zi＂ by Sima Qian in his Records of the Grand Historian; and the Annotated Book of the Xunzi by Liu Xiang. We explore the images of Xun Zi as a great Confucian （大儒） that emerge from these texts, as well as their authors＇ motives for writing. These texts are understood within three contexts： first, the self-identification of a Confucian; second, the dispute between Confucianism and Daoism; and lastly, the distinction between the classics and the annals and biographies. Due to their different discourse environments, Xun Zi＇s great Confucian image project a different significance in each： in one, he is a model of action who can act in accordance with perfected morality; in another, he is a model of ＂private words,＂ who can counter the philosophers of his day and become the teacher of kings; and finally, he is a model of ＂official learning,＂ able to use his knowledge of the classics in practical statecraft and elucidate the kingly Way. Overall, these three texts represent three types of discourse on a great Confucian. At thesame time, they also exhibit their writers＇ consciousness of their times and their views of the genealogy of daotong, or transmission of the Way; hence their significance for intellectual history.
