Youth and time in Qi (c. 310–284) , 260 BCE Xunzi was born as Xun Kuang (), probably around 310 BCE but certainly before 279 BCE. In his time, he was probably known as Xun Qing (), meaning 'Minister Xun', or 'Chamberlain Xun', after his later position. Some texts give his surname as
Sun (孫) instead of
Xun, though this may have been to avoid
naming taboo during the reign of
Emperor Xuan of Han (73–48 BCE), whose given name was Xun. He is best known by his honorary title Xunzi () translated to 'Master Xun', with
zi being a common
epithet for important philosophers. His birthplace was
Zhao, a state in the modern-day
Shanxi Province of north-central China. It is possible Xunzi was descended from the Xun family, an elite clan that had diminished following the
Partition of Jin, though this is only speculation. The
Eastern Han dynasty historian
Ying Shao records that in his youth Xunzi was a "flowering talent" in matters of scholarship and academics. Essentially nothing else is known of Xunzi's background or upbringing, and thus any attempts to connect his philosophy with either topic are futile. Sometime between age 13 and 15 (297 and 295 BCE), Xunzi traveled to the north eastern state of
Qi. There he attended the
Jixia Academy, which was the most important philosophical center in Ancient China, established by
King Xuan. At the academy, Xunzi would have learned about all the major philosophical schools of his time, and been in the presence of scholars such as
Zou Yan, Tian Pian, and
Chunyu Kun. Xunzi would have learned the art of
shuo (), a formal argument of persuasion that philosophical authorities of the time used to advise rulers. After his academy study, Xunzi unsuccessfully attempted to persuade
Lord Mengchang against continuing the extreme policies of Qi, though the historicity of this event is not certain. After the exchange, which is later recounted in his writings, Xunzi likely left Qi between 286 and 284 BCE.
Stay in Chu and return to Qi (c. 283–265) Xunzi traveled to the southern
state of Chu by 283 BCE, where he probably became acquainted with the nascent forms of the
fu poetry style, particularly because of the poet's
Qu Yuan residency there. Xunzi achieved considerable skill in the art, and his now-lost book of poems was well-regarded for many centuries. Chu was under especially frequent attacks from the
Qin state, events which Xunzi would later recount in a conversation with Li Si. The solidity of Chu decreased so rapidly that Xunzi left around 275 BCE, returning to the more stable Qi state. He was warmly welcomed back in Qi, and held in very high-regard as an intellectual. The
Shiji records that
King Xiang of Qi had Xunzi sacrifice wine three times, a task that was reserved for the most respected scholar available. The eminence at which he was held suggests that Xunzi became the head of the Jixia Academy, but he is known to have taught there regardless. It was at this time that Xunzi composed much of his most important philosophical works, namely the chapters "Of Honor and Disgrace", "Of Kings and the Lords-Protector", "Discourse on Nature", "Discourse on Music", and "Man's Nature is Evil". In his time, Xunzi was called "the most revered of teachers" (
zui wei laoshi; ). His most famous pupils were
Han Fei and
Li Si, each who would have important political and academic careers. Xunzi's association with Li Si, the future
Chancellor (or Prime Minister) of the
Qin dynasty would later tarnish his reputation. Other students of his included ,
Zhang Cang and , all of whom authored important editions and commentaries on the Confucian classics. The timeline for his academy teaching is unclear, though he seemed to have considered other posts after being
slandered. He left Qi in around 265 BCE, around the time when
King Jian succeeded Xiang.
Travels and later career (c. 265 – after 238) Xunzi's writings suggest that after leaving Qi he visited Qin, possibly from 265 BCE to 260 BCE. He aimed to convert the state's leaders to follow his philosophy of leadership, a task which proved difficult because of the strong hold that
Shang Yang's
Legalist sentiments had there. In a conversation with the Qin official Fan Sui, Xunzi praised much of the state's achievements, officials and governmental organizations. Still, Xunzi found issues with the state, primarily its lack of Confucian scholars and the fear it inspires, which Xunzi claimed would result in the surrounding states uniting up against. Xunzi then met with
King Zhaoxiang, arguing that Qin's lack of Confucian scholars and educational encouragement would be detrimental to the state's future. The king was unconvinced by Xunzi's persuasion, and did not offer him a post in his court. In around 260 BCE, Xunzi returned to his native Zhao, where he debated military affairs with Lord Linwu () in the court of
King Xiaocheng of Zhao. He remained in Zhao until BCE. In 240 BCE
Lord Chunshen, the prime minister of Chu, invited him to take a position as Magistrate of Lanling (), which he initially refused and then accepted. However, Lord Chunshen was assassinated In 238 BCE by a court rival and Xunzi subsequently lost his position. He retired, remained in Lanling, a region in what is today's southern
Shandong province, for the rest of his life and was buried there. The year of his death is unknown, though if he lived to see the ministership of his student Li Si, as recounted, he would have lived into his nineties, dying shortly after 219 BCE. ==Philosophy==