An Inquiry into the Core of Xunzi's 'On Rites': The Origin of Rites, Textual-Structural Logic, and the Way of Elevation and Reduction

Section 4 "Contention leads to chaos, and chaos leads to destitution": The Vicious Cycle from Contention to Destitution

"Contention leads to chaos, and chaos leads to destitution." (Zheng ze luan, luan ze qiong.)

These six characters describe a vicious cycle—or more accurately, a process of accelerated decline—from "contention" to "chaos" to "destitution."

"Contention" (Zheng)—When people pursue their own interests without "measure and boundary," conflict is unavoidable. You want this land, and I want this land too; you want to be the leader, and I want to be the leader—contention arises.

"Chaos" (Luan)—The direct consequence of contention is the disintegration of social order. When everyone is fighting for themselves, any existing order is destroyed. The strong oppress the weak, the many attack the few, the cunning deceive the simple—society descends into a chaotic state of survival of the fittest.

"Destitution" (Qiong)—The final result of chaos is that everyone falls into difficulty. Why$97 Because chaos means the collapse of social cooperation. Humans are able to survive and develop because they can create value far beyond individual capacity through social division of labor and cooperation. Once society falls into chaos, cooperation is impossible, and everyone must rely on their own strength for survival, yet individual strength is extremely limited. Therefore, the ultimate outcome of chaos is not that some win and some lose, but that everyone loses—"destitution."

Master Xunzi offers an extremely insightful exposition of this in the Wang Zhi chapter:

"Water and fire have qi but no life; grass and trees have life but no knowledge; birds and beasts have knowledge but no righteousness. Man has qi, has life, has knowledge, and also has righteousness, therefore he is most esteemed under Heaven. Oxen are stronger than men in power, and horses are faster than men in running, yet oxen and horses serve man. Why$98 Because man can form groups, while they cannot. Why can man form groups$99 Because of division (fen). How is division put into practice$100 Because of righteousness (yi). Therefore, when division is implemented by righteousness, there is harmony (he); harmony leads to unity (yi); unity leads to great strength (duo li); great strength leads to power (qiang); power overcomes things (sheng wu); thus, palaces can be built. Thus, ordering the four seasons, tailoring the myriad things, benefiting the world inclusively—there is no other reason than achieving this through division and righteousness."

This passage is highly critical. Man is weaker than the ox and slower than the horse, yet man commands them—why$101 Because man can "form groups" (neng qun)—forming an orderly social collective. How can man "form groups"$102 Because of "division" (fen)—social division of labor and hierarchical differentiation. How can "division" be implemented$103 Because of "righteousness" (yi)—principles of justice and moral norms. With "righteousness" realizing "division," harmony (he) is achieved; harmony leads to unity (yi); unity leads to "great strength" (duo li); great strength leads to "power" (qiang); power leads to "overcoming things" (sheng wu)—hence, homes can be built, seasons ordered, and things managed.

Conversely, without "division and righteousness" (fen yi)—without division of labor and moral norms—man cannot "form groups" and cannot form an effective social organization. Without a collective, individual strength is insignificant—even less than that of oxen and horses. This is the deeper meaning of "destitution" (qiong): not merely material lack, but a fundamental insufficiency in the capacity for survival.

Therefore, the proposition "contention leads to chaos, and chaos leads to destitution" reveals a profound sociological principle: Social order is a prerequisite for human survival. Without order, there is no cooperation; without cooperation, there is no production; without production, there is no survival. Contention destroys order, and thus destroys the basis of human existence.

This principle is echoed extensively in pre-Qin texts. In the Analects, Ji Shi chapter, Master Kong discusses the difference between a world under the Dao and one without it:

"When the world follows the Dao, rites, music, and military campaigns proceed from the Son of Heaven. When the world does not follow the Dao, rites, music, and military campaigns proceed from the feudal lords. If they proceed from the feudal lords, perhaps ten generations will pass without the rule being lost to lesser officials; if they proceed from high officials, perhaps five generations will pass without the rule being lost; if subsidiary ministers control the destiny of the state, perhaps three generations will pass without the rule being lost. When the world follows the Dao, governance does not fall into the hands of high officials. When the world follows the Dao, the common people do not engage in debate."

"When the world does not follow the Dao" (tian xia wu Dao)—that is, when social order collapses—the consequence is the continuous downward shift of power and the eventual disintegration of society, leading to ruin. "Perhaps ten generations will pass without the rule being lost" (gai shi shi xi bu shi yi)—when feudal lords exercise the authority of the Son of Heaven arbitrarily, ruin follows within about ten generations. This is precisely the political manifestation of "contention leads to chaos, and chaos leads to destitution."

The Zuo Zhuan, Yin Gong Eleventh Year records a famous statement:

"Rites are what organize the state, stabilize the ancestral altars, order the people, and benefit future generations." (Li, jing guo jia, ding she ji, xu min ren, li hou si ye.)

The function of Rites is to manage the state, stabilize the altars, order the people, and benefit descendants. Conversely, without Rites, the state cannot be managed, the altars cannot be stabilized, the people cannot be ordered, and descendants cannot benefit—this is the concrete reality of "destitution."

In the Guo Yu, there is a similar discussion:

"For sacrifice is the great constant of the state; and constants are what perfect governance. Therefore, one must be cautious in establishing sacrifices as the state's standard."

Sacrifice (one of the most important expressions of Rites) is the great constant of the state, the core element of political operation. If sacrifice is chaotic, politics becomes chaotic; if politics is chaotic, the state perishes.

From the perspective of ancient mythology, the pattern of "contention leads to chaos, and chaos leads to destitution" is reflected in ancient narratives. The Shang Shu, Yao Dian describes the age of Emperor Yao:

"The people were bright and clear; the various states harmonized; the myriad people lived in peaceful transition to order." (Bai xing zhao ming, xie he wan bang, li min yu bian shi yong.)

In the time of Emperor Yao, the people were enlightened, the states harmonized, and the populace lived in peace. This was a golden age of complete order. In contrast, the myths preceding this, such as Gonggong’s rage against Mount Buzhou and Chiyou’s rebellion, represent the archetypal narratives of "contention leading to chaos." Gonggong contended with Zhuanxu for the throne, resulting in the pillar of Heaven breaking and the Earth’s ropes snapping—the order of Heaven and Earth itself was destroyed, let alone human order!

The Shang Shu, Lü Xing also states:

"Chiyou was the first to create disorder, which spread to the common people. All men became thieves and brigands, robbing, grasping, and acting rebelliously. ... The Miao people did not accept benevolent guidance, so punitive measures were imposed on them, leading to the enactment of the Five Punishments, called 'Law.' Innocents were slaughtered, and the cruel practices of cutting off the nose, slicing off the foot, boring the skull, and tattooing the face were initiated."

Chiyou created disorder, which spread to the common people, and the world descended into great chaos. The Miao people rejected benevolent rule and instead used cruel punishments, resulting in even greater chaos. This is the ancient version of "contention leads to chaos, and chaos leads to destitution."