Propriety Thought Study

The thought of rite is the core of Xunzi' political thought. This thesis dicusses Xunzi' thought of rite by analyzing the basic context, the nature and features, political instituition and social configuration that Xunzi' was eager for.Comprehending clearly the basic context is the premises to understand accutately Xunzi' rite. This thesis analyzes carefully Xunzi' point of view about univers, history man and analogizement thinking. This thesis points out that Xunzi thought the univers and people is fixed, history is circular.The two points show that rite is right naturally.Xunzi thought man' nature is evil , man must live in group and man is flexible. This show that rite is necessary and feasible. The analogizement thinking provide the path to know and spread the rite.Xunzi thought that rite is not only allotment system, the essential law, morals norm, but also religion and faith order, grade order, sign system. After analyzing Xunzi' discussion, I conclude that Xunzi' rite is a power system in essence, its core value and target is social harmony under the grade order.The rite thought affected directly the political system designed by Xunzi. The core of the political system designed by Xunzi is autocracy. The politics system takes the people as fundus and values the the action of leaders' virtue and personality in governance. The politcal setup takes characteristics of the original religion.The rite thought also affected Xunzi designed his ideal society.In Xunzi' ideal society,the destiny and life value realization of subjects is controlled by monarch. Xunzi emphasized excessively the stable political order's function for economic production and put together firmly the people's social division of labour, materials assign and political ground. Xunzi thought politics and mental education was all of the education.The spirit system of Xunzi' ideal society, lack of spirit energy fall, was a core—radiation struction, with a trend of atrophy and collapse. Xunzi' ideal society repressed the develop vitality lying in people.Xunzi' rite thought pierces through every level of his political thought. By the analysis above we can see that the core characteristic of Xunzi' rite is grade difference and the basic soul of it is harmony,autocracy and moralism.