Yu in the Xunzi : can desire by itself motivate action?
This essay argues that yu 欲 (desire), in Xunzi’s view, cannot by itself motivate action. Such a clarification will also bear on our understanding of the relation between xin 心 (the heart/mind) and yu in the Xunzi. It is divided into three main sections. The first section seeks to explicate the commo...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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2013
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/98158 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/13202 |
| _version_ | 1826124543969722368 |
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| author | Sung, Winnie |
| author2 | School of Humanities and Social Sciences |
| author_facet | School of Humanities and Social Sciences Sung, Winnie |
| author_sort | Sung, Winnie |
| collection | NTU |
| description | This essay argues that yu 欲 (desire), in Xunzi’s view, cannot by itself motivate action. Such a clarification will also bear on our understanding of the relation between xin 心 (the heart/mind) and yu in the Xunzi. It is divided into three main sections. The first section seeks to explicate the common assumption that yu can be an independent source of motivation. In the second section, I will conduct textual analysis that challenges such an assumption and argue that only xin can by itself motivate action. In the third section, I explain that the issue of whether yu can conflict with xin is not applicable in Xunzi’s thought and extrapolate the implications that xin is always activated and that it has a natural inclination to pursue the objects of yu. For these reasons, the source of moral failure lies in xin being active in certain problematic ways. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T06:22:22Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/98158 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T06:22:22Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/981582023-03-11T20:19:49Z Yu in the Xunzi : can desire by itself motivate action? Sung, Winnie School of Humanities and Social Sciences Humanities Xunzi Confucianism This essay argues that yu 欲 (desire), in Xunzi’s view, cannot by itself motivate action. Such a clarification will also bear on our understanding of the relation between xin 心 (the heart/mind) and yu in the Xunzi. It is divided into three main sections. The first section seeks to explicate the common assumption that yu can be an independent source of motivation. In the second section, I will conduct textual analysis that challenges such an assumption and argue that only xin can by itself motivate action. In the third section, I explain that the issue of whether yu can conflict with xin is not applicable in Xunzi’s thought and extrapolate the implications that xin is always activated and that it has a natural inclination to pursue the objects of yu. For these reasons, the source of moral failure lies in xin being active in certain problematic ways. Accepted version 2013-08-23T03:45:12Z 2019-12-06T19:51:36Z 2013-08-23T03:45:12Z 2019-12-06T19:51:36Z 2012 2012 Journal Article Sung, W. (2012). Yu in the Xunzi: Can Desire by Itself Motivate Action?. Dao, 11(3), 369-388. doi:10.1007/s11712-012-9280-3 - https://hdl.handle.net/10356/98158 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/13202 10.1007/s11712-012-9280-3 3 11 369 388 en Dao Dao © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media. This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Dao. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11712-012-9280-3 application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Humanities Xunzi Confucianism Sung, Winnie Yu in the Xunzi : can desire by itself motivate action? |
| title | Yu in the Xunzi : can desire by itself motivate action? |
| title_full | Yu in the Xunzi : can desire by itself motivate action? |
| title_fullStr | Yu in the Xunzi : can desire by itself motivate action? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Yu in the Xunzi : can desire by itself motivate action? |
| title_short | Yu in the Xunzi : can desire by itself motivate action? |
| title_sort | yu in the xunzi can desire by itself motivate action |
| topic | Humanities Xunzi Confucianism |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/98158 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/13202 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sungwinnie yuinthexunzicandesirebyitselfmotivateaction |