Xunzi (Chinese: 荀子; pinyin: Xúnzǐ; Wade–Giles: Hsün Tzu, ca. 312–230 BC) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher who lived during the Warring States Period and contributed to one of the Hundred Schools of Thought. Xunzi believed man's inborn tendencies need to be curbed through education and ritual, counter to Mencius's view that man is innately good. He believed that ethical norms had been invented to rectify mankind.
Educated in the state of Qi, Xunzi was associated with the Confucian school, but his philosophy has a pragmatic flavour compared to Confucian optimism. Some scholars attribute it to the divisive times.
Xunzi was one of the most sophisticated thinkers of his time, and was the teacher of Li Si and Han Fei Zi.
Quotes·Quotations by Xunzi 荀子
Attitude
¶ 聞之不若見之, 見之不若知之, 知之不如行之。 (荀子, 儒效)
To hear is not equal to to see. To see is not equal to to know. To know is not equal to to act.
Study
¶ 不聞不若聞之，聞之不若見之，見之不若知之，知之不若行之；學至於行之而止矣。(荀子 儒效)
Not hearing is not as good as hearing, hearing is not as good as seeing, seeing is not as good as mentally knowing, mentally knowing is not as good as acting; true learning continues up to the point that action comes forth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xunzi
