Blue dye is extracted from the indigo plant, yet it is bluer than indigo itself.
青取之於藍、而青於藍。
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Philosophers
Xunzi
A Confucian scholar born in the state of Zhao during the late Warring States period, 3rd century BCE. Xunzi directly opposed Mencius's doctrine of innate human goodness, declaring that 'human nature is evil; its goodness is the result of deliberate effort.' He argued that only acquired self-cultivation — through ritual practice and ceaseless study — can elevate human beings into moral agents. Through his pupils Han Fei and Li Si he exerted a decisive influence on Legalist thought, making him both the greatest heretic and the greatest innovator in the history of Confucianism.
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Xunzi's Other Quotes
Related Quotes
Philosophy is nothing other than the pursuit of nobility and goodness.
-- Gaius Musonius Rufus
Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend.
-- Hypatia
Fables should be taught as fables, myths as myths, and miracles as poetic fancies.
-- Hypatia
To teach superstitions as truth is a most terrible thing.
-- Hypatia
Educate the children and it will not be necessary to punish the men.
-- Pythagoras
Learning must never cease.
-- Xunzi