The Distinction between Mencius and Xunzi on the Debate of Humans and Animals——With a Discussion on Their Divergent Views on Venerating Shun and Yu
The Debate between humans and animals has been a significant topic in pre-Qin Confucianism since Confucius,and both Mencius and Xunzi have engaged in profound discussions on this matter.Mencius identifies humans by the inherent virtue within them,distinguishing humans from animals.In contrast,Xunzi posits that humans can achieve"Yi"through the prac-tice of the"partition"of Li and Yi on three levels,thereby completing the differentiation between humans and animals.This divergence also sheds light on why the two philosophers have different emphases when advocating for the sage-kings.The differ-ences in their venerating Shun and Yu actually reflect the divergence in their theories of human nature.
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