Xunzi

A Chinese Confucian philosopher (c. 310–235 BCE) whose rigorous, rationalist interpretation of Confucianism significantly shaped later Chinese thought. Xunzi famously argued that human nature (性 xing) is inherently evil or crude — born with selfish desires that must be transformed through education, ritual, and law. This directly opposed Mencius's view that human nature is inherently good. Despite this disagreement, Xunzi remained firmly within the Confucian tradition, emphasizing the transformative power of learning, the importance of ritual (礼 li), and the authority of the sage kings. His students included the Legalist philosophers Han Feizi and Li Si.

As Confucius taught through the Analects and as the Confucian tradition of self-cultivation holds, Xunzi represents a key concept that continues to inform philosophical thought and practice today.