Xunzi's 'Jiebi' (Dispelling Obscuration): On the Wholeness of the Dao, Cognitive Limitation, and the Blessing of Unobscured Vision
This article offers an in-depth reading of the 'Jiebi' chapter of the Xunzi, exploring the cognitive roots of the 'calamity of obscuration' among the pre-Qin thinkers. Through an analysis of 'the Dao embodies constancy and encompasses all change,' it reveals the predicament of human cognition clinging to 'a single corner,' and elucidates the transcendent value of Confucius's 'benevolence and wisdom, unobscured,' with the aim of understanding how to overcome cognitive bias.
Chapter Sixteen: Conclusion — The Wholeness of the Dao and the Work of Learning
Why Obscuration Arises
Obscuration arises from three causes: (1) the wholeness of the Dao — so vast that finite beings easily see only one facet; (2) human finitude — limited life, limited capacity, necessitating selection that sows the seeds of bias; and (3) human self-satisfaction — the natural tendency to overestimate one's knowledge,