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 6 "Nurturing human desires and satisfying human demands": The Positive Ritualism of Nurturing and Satisfying

"Thereby nurturing human desires and satisfying human demands." (Yi yang ren zhi yu, gei ren zhi qiu.)

This sentence is extremely concise and reveals one of the core tenets of Master Xunzi’s theory of Rites: the purpose of Rites is not to suppress desire but to satisfy it.

"Nurture" (Yang)—To rear, to nourish. This word is finely chosen. It suggests an attitude of care, a posture of fostering. Human desire is like a sapling that needs careful cultivation and guidance to grow—it cannot be allowed to grow wild (it would become a weed), nor can it be uprooted (then nothing would remain). "Nurture" means finding an appropriate way between these two extremes.

"Satisfy" (Gei)—To supply, to fulfill. "Satisfying human demands" (gei ren zhi qiu) means fulfilling human pursuits. This word indicates that Rites do not just set limits but actively provide satisfaction. Rites are not a wall that only says "no"; they are a system that can say "yes"—telling people that their needs can be met through legitimate means.

This stance can be termed "Positive Ritualism"—the function of Rites is not only negative restriction (telling people what not to do) but also positive fulfillment (telling people what can be done and how to do it).

This idea of "Positive Ritualism" has precursors in Master Kong’s thought. In the Analects, Yang Huo chapter, it is recorded:

The Master said, "What do Rites mean$6 Do they mean jade and silk$7 What does Music mean$8 Does it mean bells and drums$9"

Master Kong points out that Rites are not merely external forms like jade and silk, and Music is not merely external sounds like bells and drums. The essence of Rites and Music lies in their inner spiritual meaning. And this spiritual meaning includes responding to and fulfilling human emotional needs.

In the Analects, Ba Yi chapter, there is a profound statement:

Lin Fang asked about the root of Rites. The Master said, "A great question! As for Rites, it is better to be frugal than extravagant; as for mourning, it is better to be sorrowful than formal."

Master Kong believed the root of Rites lies in true feeling and practical sentiment, not in external elaborateness. The root of mourning Rites lies in inner grief, not in the perfection of ceremony. This shows that Rites are meant to accommodate human emotions—they are a means of emotional expression and realization.

Master Xunzi further systematized this idea. In his view, the "nurturing desire" function of Rites is manifested in several aspects:

First, Rites provide rational means for satisfying material needs. Master Xunzi discusses the specifications of Rites concerning food, clothing, housing, and utensils later in the Discourse on Rites; the core purpose of these specifications is to ensure that everyone receives material satisfaction corresponding to their social status.

Second, Rites provide rational means for expressing emotional needs. Master Xunzi discusses Rites such as mourning and sacrifice, which are highly emotionally charged. Mourning Rites are for expressing and accommodating grief—when a relative passes away, one is deeply sorrowful; the mourning Rite provides a set of ceremonies that allow one to appropriately express and vent this sorrow, preventing excessive grief that harms the body, and avoiding suppressing emotion until it festers. Master Xunzi says:

"As for the Rite of Three Years’ Mourning, what is it for$10 It is to establish culture (wen) in accordance with genuine emotion (qing), to convey the distinction between kinship, nobility, and baseness, and to conclude the period of the final interment with sorrow and reverence." (Li Lun)

This is a concrete manifestation of Rites "nurturing desire" (accommodating emotional needs).

Third, Rites provide rational pathways for realizing social needs. Humans have not only material and emotional needs but also social needs—the desire to be respected, recognized, and to belong. By setting clear social hierarchies and behavioral norms, Rites allow everyone to know their place in society and what they should expect. This clarity itself provides a sense of security and belonging.

"Nurturing human desires and satisfying human demands" stands in sharp contrast to the Daoist strategies of "reducing desire" or "non-desire." In Daoism, desire is seen as needing reduction or elimination; in Xunzi, desire is seen as needing satisfaction and guidance. These two strategies stem from fundamentally different views of human nature and society.

The Daoist strategy can be summarized as "subtraction"—reducing desire and returning to simplicity. Laozi says:

"The five colors blind the eye; the five tones deafen the ear; the five flavors dull the palate; racing and hunting inflame the mind; hard-to-get goods impede conduct. Thus the Sage nourishes the belly, not the eye; so he rejects the latter and takes the former." (Laozi, Chapter 12)

Laozi believed excessive sensory stimulation damages sensory capacity and mental health. Therefore, the Sage satisfies only basic physiological needs ("nourishes the belly") and does not pursue excessive sensory enjoyment ("not the eye").

Xunzi’s strategy can be summarized as "addition"—acknowledging desire, satisfying it, but guiding and regulating it during satisfaction. This is a more active and realistic strategy. It does not fantasize about changing human nature but, by acknowledging it, constructs a system capable of reasonably satisfying that nature.

A passage in Li Ji: Yue Ji can be seen as echoing Xunzi’s idea of "nurturing desire":

"Man is born quiet; this is the nature endowed by Heaven. Stimulated by things, he is moved; this is the desire of nature. When things arrive, he knows them, and then preferences and aversions are formed. If preferences and aversions are without moderation internally, and knowledge is lured externally, and one fails to reflect internally, the principle of Heaven is extinguished. For the stimuli from things are endless, and human preferences and aversions are unrestrained, so that when things arrive, man is transformed by things. Man being transformed by things means extinguishing the principle of Heaven and exhausting human desire."

This passage points out that if human likes and dislikes are "without moderation internally" (wu jie yu nei), man is transformed by external things, ultimately "extinguishing the principle of Heaven and exhausting human desire." Here, the opposition between "principle of Heaven" and "human desire" emerges. However, it is worth noting that this passage does not advocate "extinguishing desire" but "restraining desire" (jie yu)—setting limits on desire. This aligns with Xunzi’s "nurturing desire"—"nurturing" inherently includes "restraining," much like nurturing a sapling requires pruning its branches.