Is backsliding possible on Xunzi’s view?
This study raises the question whether it is possible, in Xunzi’s 荀子 view, for someone who has gone through moral transformation to backslide. I consider three possible interpretations. On the first interpretation, one’s dispositions are transformed by environmental forces. Backsliding is possible a...
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sg-ntu-dr.10356-1784842024-06-24T04:29:10Z Is backsliding possible on Xunzi’s view? Sung, Winnie School of Humanities Arts and Humanities Xunzi Moral knowledge This study raises the question whether it is possible, in Xunzi’s 荀子 view, for someone who has gone through moral transformation to backslide. I consider three possible interpretations. On the first interpretation, one’s dispositions are transformed by environmental forces. Backsliding is possible and likely. I rule out this interpretation because it is inconsistent with other aspects of Xunzi’s thought. On the second interpretation, one’s kind-determining constitution is transformed from a neutral constitution to a moral constitution. Backsliding is not possible because one has acquired a moral constitution that is insusceptible to bad environmental influences. On the third interpretation, to be transformed is to have accumulated significantly more moral knowledge than ordinary untransformed people. Backsliding is possible but unlikely. I will then explain why it is difficult to adjudicate between the second and third interpretations and suggest further issues in Xunzi’s thought that need to be investigated. Ministry of Education (MOE) This work was supported by MOE Singapore under its Academic Research Fund Tier 1 Grant RG139/19 (NS). 2024-06-24T04:29:10Z 2024-06-24T04:29:10Z 2024 Journal Article Sung, W. (2024). Is backsliding possible on Xunzi’s view?. Dao. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11712-024-09944-9 1540-3009 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/178484 10.1007/s11712-024-09944-9 en RG139/19 (NS) Dao © 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. All rights reserved. |
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Arts and Humanities Xunzi Moral knowledge Sung, Winnie Is backsliding possible on Xunzi’s view? |
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This study raises the question whether it is possible, in Xunzi’s 荀子 view, for someone who has gone through moral transformation to backslide. I consider three possible interpretations. On the first interpretation, one’s dispositions are transformed by environmental forces. Backsliding is possible and likely. I rule out this interpretation because it is inconsistent with other aspects of Xunzi’s thought. On the second interpretation, one’s kind-determining constitution is transformed from a neutral constitution to a moral constitution. Backsliding is not possible because one has acquired a moral constitution that is insusceptible to bad environmental influences. On the third interpretation, to be transformed is to have accumulated significantly more moral knowledge than ordinary untransformed people. Backsliding is possible but unlikely. I will then explain why it is difficult to adjudicate between the second and third interpretations and suggest further issues in Xunzi’s thought that need to be investigated. |
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Sung, Winnie |
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Is backsliding possible on Xunzi’s view? |
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Is backsliding possible on Xunzi’s view? |
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Is backsliding possible on Xunzi’s view? |
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Is backsliding possible on Xunzi’s view? |
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Is backsliding possible on Xunzi’s view? |
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is backsliding possible on xunzi’s view? |
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2024 |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10356/178484 |
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