Compare And Contrast Xunzi And Confucius

Confucius spent thirteen years after serving in the government traveling to various Chinese states and sharing his ideas, hoping that they would be put into practice. Sadly, he returned home unsuccessful and spent the rest of his life, which lasted until 479 BCE, teaching and working on the Five Classics. Not unlike another famous religious figure, Confucius’ legacy and teachings were continued by his followers, most notably Mencius and Xunzi. While Mencius and Xunzi both had different ideas about how society should work, they both played their parts in popularizing Confucianism through teaching and writing. It was not until several centuries after Confucius’ death did the Confucian school of thought become adopted by the Han Dynasty in 206 BCE. The emperor finally realized that the rituals promoted by Confucius could be used as a stabilizing force for society. Song philosopher Zhu Xi compiled the “Four Books,” which he claimed summarized the teachings of Confucius. They became the core texts of Confucian teaching in …show more content…
In it, he demonstrates how the li (rituals) of early Chinese rulers set an example for appropriate human interaction and ways of achieving good government and a harmonious society. The Mencius was written by, you guessed it, Mencius. He expands on what Confucius talked about in the Analects. Mencius basically says that human beings are fundamentally good and educable—which is a theory with tremendous influence in the Confucian world. Also innovated in the Mencius is the idea that subjects have the right to overthrow a corrupt or tyrannical leader. Before that, the emperor was the emperor because he was the emperor, and everything he did was correct because that’s what an emperor would do. According to Mencius, if the emperor didn’t fulfill his duty as noted in the ruler and subject relationship, it was the duty of the subjects to overthrow the