NEUC Institute of International Education Book Sharing Seminars
Book Sharing: "Hierarchical Order and a Just World: A Study of Xunzi's Thought," written by Lin Hongxing
The Institute of International Education has held a book sharing seminar on the study of Xunzi's thought on 12 September 2024 (Thursday) at 7:30pm. The event featured senior lecturer Ng Khai Boon from the institute, with a presentation based on the book "Hierarchical Order and a Just World: A Study of Xunzi's Thought," written by Lin Hongxing. The presenter focused on the third chapter, "ke yi er bu ke shi (capable but cannot be made to will): An Interpretation Centered on Xunzi's 'xing (human nature) is bad,'" explaining the context in which the author wrote the book. The book sharing seminar has attracted around 30 participants.
How should Xunzi, known for his theory of the "xing is bad," be understood from the mainstream Confucian notion of the "xing is good"? The author points out that while Xunzi criticizes many aspects of Mencius's views, he never denies the existence of moral capacity in the heart/mind. Instead, beyond the moral capacity of heart/mind, Xunzi has a more cautious understanding of human "emotional desires." Based on the concepts of "yu duo wu gua (many desires but few resources)" and the idea that people "ke yi er bu ke shi", Xunzi believes that following the development of "emotional desires" can lead to social chaos and disorder. Thus, he consistently emphasizes that social good is artificially constructed.
Mencius's discussions on social education are insufficient, and Xunzi serves as a supplement in this regard. The pursuit of equal moral requirements for all individuals is theoretically unfeasible, which necessitates relative distinctions of hierarchy and wealth to accommodate different people's emotional desires appropriately. Therefore, the author argues that we can draw on from Xunzi's thought to offer solutions for contemporary issues related to multicultural integration. The construction of a Confucian hierarchical order may also provide a different perspective for today's emphasis on freedom and equality in societal development.
