Overview
Xunzi was a Philosopher and Scholar.
PeriodAncient China
IdentityHistorical · Male
Other names
| Type | English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal name | Xun Qing | 荀卿 | Xun Qing |
| Alternate name | Master Sun |
Life and dates
Death
- died after writing; buried at Lanling 而卒。因葬蘭陵。At Lanling 蘭陵Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passages 86-87
Age
- 50Reckoning Sui · Context first came to Qi to studyDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 76
Attested activity
- BC 280 to BC 250 事荀卿Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 56
- BC 255 以荀卿為蘭陵令Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 78, passage 110
- BC 313 to BC 238 威、宣之際Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 15
- BC 310 孔墨荀孟Directly stated · Book of Zhou 46, passage 15
- BC 250 孫卿Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 2, passage 165
- BC 250 孫卿（戰國時）Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 273
Show 7 more source-backed claims
- BC 300 to BC 230 年五十始來游學於齊Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passages 75-76
- BC 280 戰國Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 25, passage 62
- BC 238 春申君死而荀卿廢Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 84
- BC 313 to BC 238 荀卿Strongly inferred · History of Song 106, passage 98
- BC 300 荀卿有言Directly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 13
- BC 249 莊襄王元年Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 85, passages 52, 58
- BC 283 to BC 265 齊襄王時Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 81
Key source chapters
- Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 74 Biographies of Mengzi and Xun Qing 6 passages
- Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 85 Biography of Master Lü Buwei 1 passage
- Book of Han, Chapter 25 Volume 23: Treatise on Punishment and Law 4 passages
- Book of Later Han, Chapter 94 Volume 83: Biographies of Hermits 1 passage
- Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 2 Volume 2 Annals 2: Emperor Gao of Southern Qi 2 1 passage
Career and standing
- senior teacher 老師Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 81
- Magistrate of Lanling 蘭陵令BC 255 春申君相楚八年 · AppointedDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 78, passage 110
- magistrate of Lanling 蘭陵令Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 83
- Ranked Grandee 列大夫HeldDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 82
- libationer of Ranked Grandees 祭酒Served three timesDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 82
- Removed from office after Lord Chunshen's deathBC 238 春申君死 · DismissedDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 84
Places and affiliations
- Polity Chu 楚 · Relation ServedDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 83
- Polity Warring States 戰國 · Relation Lived underStrongly inferred · History of Song 106, passage 98
- At Zhao 趙Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 75
- At Lanling 蘭陵 · Relation Buried atDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 87
- At Lanling 蘭陵 · Relation Posted toDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 83
- At Lanling 蘭陵 · Relation Resided inDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 84
Show 1 more source-backed claim
- At Qi 齊 · Relation Studied inDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 76
Works and attributed material
- books 書Relation AuthorDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 85, passage 58
- discussion of punishments 論刑Relation AuthorDirectly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 273
- tens of thousands of words on Confucians, Mohists, and Daoists 推儒、墨、道德之行事興壞，序列著數萬言Relation AuthorDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 86
- reasoned from the conventional account about Yu, Yao, Shun, Tang, and King Wu 因俗說而論禹湯武Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 289
- Doctrine · Author · Direct quotation · Mode named-source-report Source Person Id Song Qi (宋祁)Directly stated · History of Song 106, passage 98
- Philosophical critique · Speaker · Direct quotation · Topic military power, deception, and benevolent ruleDirectly stated · Book of Han 25, passages 62-84
Show 3 more source-backed claims
- Quotation · Speaker · Mode named-source-report Speaker Xunzi (孫卿)Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passages 273-287
- Quotation · Speaker · Mode named-source-reportDirectly stated · Book of Southern Qi 2, passage 165
- Quotation · Speaker · Quote trueDirectly stated · Book of Later Han 94, passage 13
Events and relationships
- Carried forward and refined Confucian legacyScholarly · TransmitterDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 15
- Slandered by men of Qi then left for ChuSlander · VictimDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 83
- Relation Intellectual heir of · Person Confucius (孔子)Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 15
- Relation Teacher of · Person Han Fei (韓非)Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 56
- Relation Teacher of · Person Li Si (李斯)
Assessments and attributes
- Assessment clear on the kingly way · Mode historian-judgmentDirectly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 62
- Assessment hated turbid-age governance; criticized shamans, omen-trust, narrow Confucians, and Zhuang Zhou's facetiousness · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 86
Source notes
- Historicity historicalDirectly stated · History of Song 106, passage 98
References in the histories
19 passages
No matching passages.