Translations : Xunzi 23.8 English - Chinese Text Project

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This thread relates to:

《荀子·性惡》 #8

2016-11-18 02:00:52Xunzi 23.8 English
Posted by: frank091 (Frank Saunders Jr)	Respond by saying: as for ritual and duty, these arose from the artifice of the sages, and did not arise because of people's spontaneous nature. The potter shapes clay to make his instruments. In this case, the instruments arise from the potter's artifice, and do not arise because of people's spontaneous nature. And the woodsman chops down trees to complete his instruments. In this case, the instruments arise from the woodsman's artifice, and do not arise because of people's spontaneous nature. The sages accumulated reflection and forethought, practiced artifice, and thereby gave rise to ritual and duty and set up models and guidelines. In this way, as for ritual, duty, models, and guidelines, they all arose from the sages' artifice, and did not arise because of people's spontaneous nature. Like this, the eyes are fond of pretty colors; the ears are fond of nice sounds; the mouth is fond of flavor; the heart-mind is fond of benefit; the bones of our body and the form of our skin are fond of pleasant sensations---these all arise from people's natural sentiments and spontaneous nature. [For these sentiments], people are stirred and react spontaneously; they do not wait to work at them and only then make them arise. When someone is stirred but is unable to make [his sentiments] so, and he must wait to work at them and only then are they so---call this ``arising from artifice.'' These are the things that arise from spontaneous nature and from artifice and the marks of their differences.

2016-11-18 02:00:52Xunzi 23.8 English

Posted by: frank091 (Frank Saunders Jr)

Respond by saying: as for ritual and duty, these arose from the artifice of the sages, and did not arise because of people's spontaneous nature. The potter shapes clay to make his instruments. In this case, the instruments arise from the potter's artifice, and do not arise because of people's spontaneous nature. And the woodsman chops down trees to complete his instruments. In this case, the instruments arise from the woodsman's artifice, and do not arise because of people's spontaneous nature. The sages accumulated reflection and forethought, practiced artifice, and thereby gave rise to ritual and duty and set up models and guidelines. In this way, as for ritual, duty, models, and guidelines, they all arose from the sages' artifice, and did not arise because of people's spontaneous nature. Like this, the eyes are fond of pretty colors; the ears are fond of nice sounds; the mouth is fond of flavor; the heart-mind is fond of benefit; the bones of our body and the form of our skin are fond of pleasant sensations---these all arise from people's natural sentiments and spontaneous nature. [For these sentiments], people are stirred and react spontaneously; they do not wait to work at them and only then make them arise. When someone is stirred but is unable to make [his sentiments] so, and he must wait to work at them and only then are they so---call this ``arising from artifice.'' These are the things that arise from spontaneous nature and from artifice and the marks of their differences.

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