An Analytical Interpretation of Xunzi's Theory of the Badness of Human Nature:From the Perspective of Conceptual Analysis and Textual Interpretation
In recent years,there appear some new interpretations on Xunzi's theory of human nature in the academic circles:some argue that Xunzi regards human nature as originally simple but not bad,some argue that Xunzi holds different views in different stages,while others claim that Xunzi believes that human nature is bad indeed but there is an innate good within the mind-heart of individuals.The former two interpretations are mainly based on textual research,whereas the latter one is grounded in a cross-text hermeneutics between Mencius and Xunzi.Although all these new interpretations make us realize both the complexity and the various problems in Xunzi's theory of human nature,they actually miss the significance of Xunzi's thoughts on the badness of human nature.To solve these problems,this article firstly starts from a conceptual analysis which aims to clearly define those core concepts in Xunzi's theory of human nature.Secondly,according to the principle of hermeneutic cycle and charity,this article tries to understand Xunzi's theory of human nature and his general position as consistently as possible.As a result,both the superficial contradiction and the great significance of Xunzi's theory of human nature,as well as many other relevant problems,can be properly comprehended within Xunzi's own system.
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