Zi Honor Thought

Thoughts of Honor or disgrace go back to ancient times in our country thinking history. Knowing honor and disgrace is also essential requirements to person. Xunzi inherited and developed predecessor's honor or disgrace thought, proposed regarding the honor or disgrace view of himself, and gave a systematic and comprehensive exposition to the question of honor or disgrace thought."Righteousness then interest is glory, interest then righteousness is shame". Xunzi defined the connotation of honor or disgrace, but he didn't divide honor and disgrace by the standard of righteousness and interest simply. Xunzi divided honor and disgrace by dealing with the relations of righteousness and interest. Pursuing"interest"does not mean that is"the shame", but must place"righteousness"at the first place. So, the honor or disgrace question's essence lies in division of righteousness and interest, and dealing with the relations of righteousness and interest correctly is the determining factor to differentiate the honor and disgrace. Xunzi differentiated the levels of honor or disgrace. He thought that the honor or disgrace"had the both sides, righteous glory, the superficial glory, righteous disgrace, the superficial disgrace". On the honor or disgrace level,"glory"and"superficial disgrace"are the surface layer, but"righteous glory"and"disgrace"are basic. The villain can only attain superficial glory, cannot obtain righteousness glory. The gentleman may have the superficial disgrace, but may not have righteous shame. Only the genuine great man can simultaneously obtain"righteous glory"and"superficial glory"finally. Therefore, must be clear about anything is genuine honor or disgraceful, and pursue the righteous honor.Xunzi discussed honor or disgrace's moral significance and the social value. The thought of honor or disgrace relates person to settle down and get on with his life, has the vital role to foster the good social convention, and relates the political governing. The life gets down and is not only for organism's survival, but in order to make the life to have the value. The thought of honor or disgrace breaks through the concept of organism and pursue life value. Moreover, through pursuing honor, even if the person dies, he may also obtain the reputation. This shows the immortal of the life value. Everyone hopes to obtain the honor, receives the appreciation, then according to essential requirements to gain honor or disgrace, each one's behavior must according to society's etiquette. The deference to society etiquette requests that people treat other men honestly, the behavior is respectful, and the life is thrifty. This is helpful to form the good faith of honest and respectful in the society. It can avoid the social battle through fostering the thought of honor or disgrace. Through teaching the human to know what is honor and disgrace, everyone should do something according to the etiquette and principle. Finally, it will achieve the entire society harmonious like a group, and keep the society stability. The thought of honor or disgrace is also a key for the political governing. In a country, everyone from the common people to the crowned should know honor and disgrace, perform his own functions.Xunzi had pointed out the important way to cultivate the thoughts of honor or disgrace. The honor or disgrace has so vital significance regarding the life, the society and the country, therefore fosters the correct honor or disgrace idea is very essential. The way to cultivate the thoughts of honor or disgrace, first, reconstruct human nature, second, must swell the ritual to revere the law, finally accumulates good deeds the perfect virtue. The human nature is originally wicked, it may be transformed. Moreover the human has the ability to study, the correct thought of honor or disgrace will be obtained through afterward study. Only by study unceasingly, and keeping self-training, it can increase the experience, accumulate good deeds, and make foundation for fostering the thought of honor or disgrace. The key to gain honor or disgrace lies in whether to obey the ritual. Obey the ritual and strictly adheres to the law, it is smooth to do everything. At last, we must pay great attention to the function of accumulation, become good deeds into perfect virtue. Through imitates, study, introspection, a person can achieve consummation in the self-personality, put to practice, foster the noble welldoing, establish the meritorious achievements, realize the life value and the spiritual immortality.In the honor or disgrace thought's history, Xunzi had carried on specially the systematic elaboration for the first time to the honor or disgrace question, subdivided the honor or disgrace level, nailed down honor or disgrace's essence and the value, explored positively the way to cultivate the correct honor or disgrace thought. This enriched the content of thoughts of honor or disgrace in ethics thinking history in our country, endow deep history inside story and the national characteristics to socialism outlook of honor and dishonor.