Xunzi's 'Jie Bi' (Unveiling Concealment): On the Wholeness of the Dao, Cognitive Limitation, and the Fortune of Being Unobstructed

Section 5: Master Xunzi on Human Desire—Correcting Names and Nourishing Desire

Master Xunzi’s complete discussion of desire is concentrated in the chapters "On Names" and "On Rites." His fundamental position can be summarized as: Desire is human nature; it cannot be eliminated, nor should it be. The key is to guide and restrain desire through ritual and moral institutions, allowing it to be satisfied reasonably.

In Xunzi, "On Names," there is a critical passage:

"Nature (Xing) is what Heaven bestows; Feeling (Qing) is the substance of Nature; Desire (Yu) is the response of Feeling. To take what one desires as attainable and seek it is what Feeling inevitably cannot avoid." (性者，天之就也；情者，性之质也；欲者，情之应也。以所欲为可得而求之，情之所必不免也。)

This logical chain is clear: Heaven bestows "Nature" upon man → the substance of Nature manifests as "Feeling" → the natural reaction of Feeling is "Desire" → because one has desire, one seeks its satisfaction, which is inevitable on the emotional level. In other words, desire is not a bad habit acquired later but arises naturally from the chain: nature → feeling → desire. It is a fundamental component of being human.

Master Xunzi immediately continues:

"To treat what is attainable as the Way and articulate it, this is known to be inevitable. Thus, even if one guards the gate, desire cannot be removed. Even if one is the Son of Heaven, desire cannot be exhausted. Although desire cannot be exhausted, seeking it can be moderated; although desire cannot be removed, pursuit can be restrained." (以为可而道之，知所必出也。故虽为守门，欲不可去也。虽为天子，欲不可尽也。欲虽不可尽，可以近尽也；欲虽不可去，求可节也。)

This means that even the humblest gatekeeper has desires that cannot be eliminated, and even the most noble Son of Heaven cannot exhaust all his desires. However: though desires cannot be fully satisfied, approaching satisfaction is possible; though desires cannot be removed, the pursuit of them can be restrained.

This is the fundamental divergence between Master Xunzi and Master Songzi. Master Songzi attempted to "remove desire" (qu yu), which Master Xunzi saw as impossible and unnecessary. Master Xunzi advocates "restraining pursuit" (jie qiu)—not eliminating desire, but restraining the manner in which its satisfaction is sought, ensuring it conforms to rites and righteousness.

This concept of "restraining pursuit" is directly related to the concept of "Attainment" (De). "De" is the satisfaction of desire through reasonable means. With the institutional arrangement of "Attainment," people can find balance between desire and fulfillment; without the institutional arrangement of "Attainment," even if people desire less, conflict may arise because basic needs are unmet.

Master Songzi’s "obstruction by desire" stems from focusing only on the negative aspect of desire (it is the source of conflict) while ignoring the positive possibility of satisfying desire through reasonable institutional arrangements for "Attainment." This partial view led him to propose "diminishing desire," a doctrine that seems lofty in theory but is unworkable in practice.