"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it" is Xunzi's famous saying. The phrase comes from "Xunzi·Ai Gong", the original text is "Water carries the boat, water can capsize the boat", which means that the monarch is like a boat and the people are like water. Water can make the boat sail smoothly or sink it. It means that if something is used properly, it will be beneficial, but if it is used inappropriately, it will be harmful. It is a metaphor that people's support determines life and death.

Introduction to Xunzi

No. Qing),[33] a native of the Zhao state at the end of the Warring States Period. During the Han Dynasty, he was abbreviated as "Sun Qing" to avoid being asked by Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty. He was a famous thinker, philosopher, educator, representative of the Confucian school, and the culmination of a hundred schools of thought in the pre-Qin era.

Xunzi served as the sacrificial wine minister of Jixia Academy of Qi three times, and served as the mausoleum of Chulan twice. In his later years, he lived in seclusion in Lanling County, wrote books, taught disciples, and stayed there until his death. He was called the "Later Saint". Xunzi critically accepted and creatively developed the orthodox thoughts and theories of Confucianism, advocating "the simultaneous application of etiquette and law"; he proposed the idea of ??"controlling the destiny of heaven and using it", which means that man can conquer nature.

Xunzi opposed superstition of ghosts and gods; put forward the theory of evil nature, paid attention to the influence of customs and education on people, and emphasized the application of knowledge; [31] His thoughts are reflected in "Xunzi" in a book. Xunzi also compiled and passed down Confucian classics such as "The Book of Songs", "Shangshu", "Li", "Yue", "Yi", and "Spring and Autumn", making great contributions to the dissemination and preservation of Confucian thought and culture.