Abstract

An important characteristic of the ethical thought of Xunzi 荀子 that has not received the attention it deserves is related to the idea of the ideal state or condition that Xunzi believes all humans should attain in their personal interactions. I am inclined to think that Xunzi actually puts this idea at the center of his ethical outlook. If this inclination is credible, it may have significant implications for any attempt to understand Xunzi’s ethical thought in a more systematic way. Moreover, this inclination seems to counter a very recent trend in the field of contemporary Chinese philosophy, which is to see early Confucian thought as comparable to contemporary virtue ethics because early Confucian thought ..