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故宮室可得而居也。 And so we obtain homes and palaces and dwell therein. 故序四時， Hence it is for no other reason that we are able to order the four seasons, 裁萬物， judge the myriad things, 兼利天下， and benefit all under heaven: 無它故焉，得之分義也。 we obtain all of this through discrimination and morality.

000

故義以分則和， Hence if discriminations are made through morality there will be harmony, 和則一， if harmony then unity, 一則多力， if unity then strength, 多力則彊， if strength then dominance, 彊則勝物； and if dominance, victory over nature.

100

人何以能群？ How does mankind band together? 曰：分。 I say, discrimination. 分何以能行？ How do we practice discrimination? 曰：義。 I say, morality.

100

力不若牛，走不若馬，而牛馬為用， Our strength does not compare to the ox nor our speed to the horse, yet we yoke the ox and bridle the horse. 何也？ How is this so? 曰： I say, 人能群，彼不能群也。 Mankind bands together, and they cannot do so.

100

人有氣、有生、有知，亦且有義， Mankind has spirit, life, intelligence, and moreover morality, 故最為天下貴也。 hence are the most esteemed under heaven.

100

水火有氣而無生， Fire and water have spirit but lack life. 草木有生而無知， Trees and grasses have life but lack intelligence. 禽獸有知而無義， Birds and beasts have intelligence but lack morality.

100

YouTube video by Lana Moon Reads

This week, Lana Moon reads an excerpt from Xunzi chapter 9, 王制 The Regulation of Kings. (Original translation.) #asmr #china #philosophy #anthropology #mankind

youtu.be

Xunzi on Mankind

111

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.

010

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—

If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;

In all my dreams before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time, But someone still was yelling out and stumbling And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.— Dim through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots, But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, And towards our distant rest began to trudge.