"Water carries the boat, water overturns the boat" is Xunzi's famous saying.

"Water carries the boat, water overturns the boat" is a Chinese idiom, which comes from "Xunzi King System": "It is said: 'The king is the boat, the common man is the water, and the water is the boat. , the water capsizes the boat."

Vernacular explanation: The king is like a boat, and the people are like water. Water can make the boat move or drown it. It is a metaphor that the people can support the monarch or overthrow the monarch.

If the horse disturbs the carriage, then the people in the carriage will not be able to ride safely; if the people disturb the politics, those in power will not be content in their official positions. If the horse is frightened by the chariot, it is better to quiet the horse; when the common people are frightened by politics, it is better to give them benefits. Select talented people. Recommend loyal and respectful people, promote filial piety and friendship, adopt orphans and widows, and subsidize the poor. If this is the case, then the common people will feel at ease in the political situation, and then the gentlemen will be content with their political positions.

Legend: "The monarch is a ship; the common people are water. Water can carry ships and also capsize ships." This is what it means. If a king wants to gain peace, it is best to be diligent in political affairs and care for the people; if he wants to gain prosperity, it is best to treat his scholars with grand etiquette; if he wants to gain fame, it is best to respect and appoint talented people. It is a major event related to the safety and survival of the ruler.

Extended information

Xunzi (about 313 BC - 238 BC), named Kuang, courtesy name Qing, was of the Huaxia ethnic group (Han nationality) and was a native of the Zhao state at the end of the Warring States Period. A famous thinker, writer and politician, he was respectfully called "Xun Qing" by people at that time. In the Western Han Dynasty, to avoid the taboo of Liu Xun, Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, and because the two characters "Xun" and "Sun" had similar ancient pronunciation, he was also called Sun Qing. He served as the wine-offering officer of Jixia Academy of Qi State three times, and later as the magistrate of Chu Lanling (located in present-day Lanling County, Shandong Province).

Xunzi developed Confucianism. On the issue of human nature, he advocated the theory of evil nature, advocated that human nature has evil, denied innate moral concepts, and emphasized the influence of acquired environment and education on people. His theory is often compared with Mencius' theory of "nature is good" by later generations. Xunzi also made a significant contribution to the rearrangement of Confucian classics.

Xunzi’s status in the Confucian system can be understood from the following three aspects:

1. Historical trends in academic integration. No matter from which angle it is examined, the academic and intellectual history value of "Xunzi Fei Twelve Sons" should be explored.

2. Xunzi made great contributions to the teaching of Confucian classics. In Confucianism in the Han Dynasty, not only "Ritual" came from Xun Xue, but "Book of Songs" and even "Spring and Autumn Studies" were related to Xun Xue. Wang Zhong, a scholar of the Qing Dynasty, wrote "General Theory of Xun Qingzi" and believed that "Xunqing's learning originated from Confucius and was especially responsible for the classics". He also made a detailed textual research on Xunzi's "Jing Chuan" and was a scholar of the history of Confucian classics. Basically agree. The contemporary scholar Xu Fuguan also spoke highly of Xunzi's position in the history of Confucian classics.

3. Xunzi pays close attention to changes in the real world and is full of meritorious spirit. Xunzi lectured in Qi, served as an official in Chu, discussed military affairs in Zhao, discussed politics in Yan, and discussed customs in Qin. His influence on the society at that time was not inferior to that of Confucius and Mencius. Confucius did not enter Qin, but Xunzi praised Qin's politics and customs while criticizing it for being "unconfucian". This shows that while adhering to the basic beliefs of Confucianism, he is still striving to expand the political space of Confucianism. Standing between politics and academia, the pragmatic spirit embodied by Xunzi should be the model adopted by Dong Zhongshu, a Confucian of the Han Dynasty. They all made contributions to Confucianism adapting to the environment of the times and seeking new development.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Water carries the boat, water overturns the boat

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