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#Xunzi #Rectification of Names #Pre-Qin Philosophy #Name-Actuality Relationship #Political Philosophy

Names Establish the World, the World is Established by Names: A Deep Interpretation of "The Names Established by the Later Kings" and "General Names Residing in People" in Xunzi’s "Rectification of Names"

This study offers a profound analysis of the *Zhengming* chapter in the *Xunzi*, specifically examining the philosophical implications of "the perfected names of the later kings" and "dispersed names." By situating Xunzi’s theory within the broader discourse of Pre-Qin thought, the article elucidates how the rectification of names functions as a critical nexus for political governance, social order, and epistemological framework.

Tianwen Editorial Team April 27, 2026 5 min read PDF Markdown
Names Establish the World, the World is Established by Names: A Deep Interpretation of "The Names Established by the Later Kings" and "General Names Residing in People" in Xunzi’s "Rectification of Names"

III. The Unique Position of Master Xun

Against this backdrop, what is unique about Master Xun’s study of rectifying names$11

  1. Epistemological Depth: He was the first to systematically elevate "names" from political ethics to epistemology and ontology, exploring how names are generated and how they relate to human nature.
  2. Institutional and Philosophical Unity: He integrated the history of institutional names (legal, noble, ceremonial) with a philosophical analysis of human attributes (nature, emotion, deliberation, artificiality).
  3. The "Convention" Theory: He explicitly proposed that names are created through "social convention" (yueding sucheng). He stated: "When names are applied to all things, they follow the established customs and temporary agreements of the Xia (Chinese) people." This was a pioneering insight in pre-Qin history.