Xunzi is known for the theory of humanity evil, and becomes a unique school in the Confucianism. However, under the powerful influence of metaphysical morality thinking of Mencius, the uniqueness and value of the idea of Xunzi is not completely settled. Most scholars believe that Xunzi’s thinking lacks autonomy and universality with regard to the idea of “the transformation of humanity,” because it lacks an organic root of moral system. Therefore, the method of research Xunzi today must get rid of the influence of Mencius
This paper is based on a large number of unearthed documents, combining with the history of academic development and the Book of Xunzi, trying to clarify the real status of Xunzi, in history. This article aims to elucidate three topics of ritual source, Chi-Hsia Academy and Brightness Thought. In the beginning, the ritual, li 禮, in Xunzi concept has based on the ritual of the Zhou Dynasty; however, we found that Xunzi was following the li 禮 which aristocracy in the face of social chaos to build a set of maintenance of social order etiquette by unearthed documents. Therefore, the ritual, li 禮, in Xunzi is quite different from Lu country.
Second, we can find a lot of brightness image in The Book of Songs(詩經) and Shangshu(尚書); however, we can’t find the same inheritance of brightness image in The Analects of Confucius and the book of Mencius. To my surprise, we found a lot of bright images in the book of Xunzu who is a Confucian heresy. Why is there such a situation, being worthy of further study.
Finally, Xunzi is always regarded as advocating separation of heaven from human; however, Xunzi declared that if we get the 德 in our mind by accumulating good things, then you will obtain the bright spirit (神明) and you will combine the inside and outside bright spirit together(通於神明). In other word, human and heaven( bright spirit) is a
System, not a separation.