The Study On Xunzi's "Criticizing Mozi" Thought

In pre-Qin era, hundreds of philosophers appeared and put forward various theories. Xunzi's"Criticizing Mozi"is a example in that flourishing situation. In Xunzi's opinion, valuing practice while neglecting the culture is the total drawback of Mozi's thought. Specifically, Xunzi's"Criticizing Mozi"is built on four main parts. First of all, he criticized the Mozi's"Opposing music". Mozi thought that the music used too much treasury without any actual effectiveness. And Xunzi pointed out that the"Opposing music"could lead harm to person and society."Opposing music"will make more faulty behavior of individuals, and at the same time, the society will fall into confusion without music. Secondly, he criticized Mozi's"Prudence". Mozi wanted to achieve the purpose of making the world rich through the"Prudence". Xunzi pointed out that"Prudence"will not be able to make the world prosperous, but it will indulge the selfish in human nature. In his opinion, to make the world prosperous needs"following the heaven while harmonizing the human"as the principles, and need the"rich together"as the specific measures. Thirdly, he criticized the Mozi's"Promoting similarities". Mozi hoped to build an absolute authoritarian political system by"Promoting similarities", and with this system to maintain the order of world. Xunzi pointed out the"Promoting similarities"which ignored the differences in the government method was not effective, the effective way to government the world is"Distinguishing differences". The"Distinguishing differences"demands all people from king to peasant should keep their positions, and carry out their duties. Lastly, he criticized the Mozi's"Heaven's will". Mozi thought the heaven had its will that could praise good and punish the bad. Xunzi pointed out that, to emphasis on"Heaven's will"would have the superstition on the fate of human and the reliance on the supernatural, at the same time, it would make people ignore the role of themselves. Xunzi believes that heaven is nature. The right attitude to heaven should be"Make great efforts to know the heaven's law, and then make it services human".Xunzi summarized the pre-Qin philosophy. With criticizing, he also absorbed some content of Moism appropriately. First of all, Xunzi and Mozi have similarities in"Promoting talent". They both agreed that talent is the key to national prosperity; The actual capacity is the great importance for talent, rather than appearance or background. Secondly, Xunzi and Mozi have similarities in"Human nature". Both Xunzi and Mozi thought people have the nature that want more profit and avoid less loss from their born. Indulgence of this nature will lead to selfishness, harm others to benefit oneself. And the human's evil nature began from here. At the same time, Xunzi and Mozi both agreed the possibility of make evil into good, even evil is the human's nature. In the process of overcoming the evil nature, Xunzi and Mozi both thought the teacher is very important. The similarities between Xunzi's thought and Mozi's is worth to considering. First of all, this is not only the essence that Xunzi summarized and absorbed the thoughts of other philosophy, but also is the development of Confucian scholars to respond the development of history. Secondly, Xunzi and Mozi had some similarities, but their thoughts have different start points. Xunzi has always been on the Confucian-based and criticize and inherit the thought of other school, so the similar thoughts of Xunzi and Mozi still have some differences.To sum up Xunzi's"Criticizing Mozi"thought, it can begin from two aspects as"inner sagelihood"and"outer kingliness". First of all, Xunzi's"Propriety"has the height of"Way"; While Mozi's"Universal Love"is only at the step of"method". With contrast, Xunzi's"Way"can resolve the evil of human nature better than Mozi's"method", it aslo can improve the cultivation and realize"inner sagelihood". Secondly, Xunzi's"Combining propriety and law"is a government strategy with the unity of idea and real. While Mozi's theory to government included too much component of fantasy. With contrast, Xunzi's thought that combines Kingly Way and Dictator's Way is closer to practice. It will make the world orderly and reach"outer kingliness".Xunzi's"Criticizing Mozi"thought is not only the result to mutual-criticize between Confucianism and Moism, but also the result to Confucian self-adjustment. The significance of"Criticizing Mozi"is cleared the differences between Confucianism and Moism, it summarized the previous generations; And we can inferr that the significance of Xunzi's thought is summarized the pre-Qin philosophy and enlightened the future generations.