Hsun Tsu 哲學一愛 493031060 詹孟萍

Questions and Answers--- Hsün Tzu


Setting: I am a student from Fu Jen University in the year of 2005. I accidentally meet Hsun Tzu’s soul in my dream once, and after hours of conversation, we became friends.
Me：Who are you?
Hsun Tzu ：I am Hsun Tzu. I was born around 334B.C~230B.C. It’s during the Warring States Period. I was one of the great Confucians. In my early time, I promoting Confucius’s idea and disagree Mencius’s idea. People may think I am uncommon in that time, but still I give man different thinking about our life.

Me：Did you have any students or work?
Hsun Tzu ：Yes, I have two famous students. Both of Li Si and Han Feizi learn from me. Later, they becomes Legalism and popular in Warring States Period.
Hsun Tzu, this book was written by Han Feizi. All about my thought are metion in it.

Me：Since you are so great so well-known, I would like to hear about your thoughts, your theories. Is that okay with you?
Hsun Tzu ：No problem, off course.

Me：What is your opinion regarding to the theory of universe?
Hsun Tzu ：I think there’s no God in the universe, and I think that nature rules the world. I also think that people can conquer nature and use them, but it was accepted by others. That’s why China did not develop in early science technology.
Me：What a pity!

Me：What do you think about human nature?
Hsun Tzu ：You are born with your own human nature; it is not something that you learn from. I believe that men were by nature evil, but they can learn to be good by learning. So goodness of a human was not born to have it.
Me：I think human are just like what Confucius said, they are born to be good. What’s your opinion to that?
Hsun Tzu ：I disagree with that, because I think goodness can only be obtained by learning, they are not born with it.
Me：Now I understand the difference between you and Confucius.


Me：Concerning politics, you do have a desire to be involved in politics, right?
Hsun Tzu ：I think people should not concern only about themselves, but also should be thinking for others. We should choose someone to suitable to be involved in politics. As for me, the road of politics was not so successful; I could only teach some students.

Me：Since you are a teacher, obviously you do have your own way and ideas of teaching. What could that be?
Hsun Tzu ：I think environment is a very important factor to guide people to goodness. You will have to pay attention to the lesson of your own life, and you must continually reviewing and learning.

Me：How do you deal with the issues regarding to moral and ethics?
Hsun Tzu ：Respecting the elders and honesty is what I think is the most important, and I also think that bravery inside a person is also very important too.
Me：This thought is also said by many other philosophers.

Me：What are your thoughts regarding to economics?
Hsun Tzu ：I think people should be wise to their money; they should save their money as much as possible, so they can use them in emergency. Also people should pay light tax, because the main target of a country is to raise a nation of people, so that is an important factor in order to have a strong country.
Me：I think that is a very good theory, and it is very useful in nowadays.

Me：What you think about human’s ambition of seeking knowledge, and performs them?
Hsun Tzu ：I think they are equally important; no men should live without one of those factors.
Me：This is just like what the father of Taiwan said.

Me：Did you know that you influenced people from later times greatly?
Hsun Tzu ：I wouldn’t know that, I have died for so long now; I am not familiar with the society now.
Me：If government at your time could use your thoughts and ideas, China will definitly be rich and wealthy regarding to the knowledge of science technology. People tend to like the theory of Confucius and others more, they care about what is happening now, they don’t talk about what is the universe is all about. I think that China could have been much more advanced and wealthier if they believed in your theories back then. Wouldn’t you say so?
Hsun Tzu ：Thank you for your compliments.
Me：You’re welcome; I have to thank you too, for having such a pleasant conversation with me!