and prohibitive. Because of the great variation in the process of self-
cultivation, Xunzi believed that although it was sufficient to appeal
to rituals to enforce conduct propriety for the noble-minded, for the
small-minded, coercive measures were needed to prohibit immoral
and antisocial behaviors (Xunzi, Book 9). Because laws are primarily
punitive, Xunzi cautioned that they should used only as a last resort,
that is, after moral and ritual education has been tried but proved
ineffective. Furthermore, when people violate propriety norms, the
legal system must consider intentions so as to punish only those
transgressors with bad wills. In summary, Xunzi’s incorporation of
laws into his philosophy of governance was a significant departure
from the classic Confucianism that preceded him. Although narrowly
conceived, his inclusion of laws and regulations as part of the system
of propriety laid the foundation of legal governance, which was
carried forward by his student Li Si, who was to be chancellor of the
Qin empire.
Administrative and organizational principles. In Xunzi’s system of
li, this subcomponent deals with operational norms and practices
of government administration especially with regard to personnel
management. His prescriptions of these principles reminds us of what
are known today as human resources practices. Here we highlight
three of his expositions, which are consistent with his belief in social
distinctions. First, Xunzi proposed hierarchical ranking and differen-
tial rewards instead of egalitarianism in administration. He believed
that is the only way to attract and motivate talented people to serve
and to establish and maintain stable relationships. Second, he insisted
that the fundamental criterion of personnel administration with
respect to selection, assessment, promotion, and reward is merit in
terms of moral character, ability, and work performance relative to the
objectives and requirements of the post. Extraneous factors such as
one’s birth, age, looks, or current social and economic status are of no
relevance. He believed that merit-based administration is the most
benevolent and the most righteous: ‘‘Esteeming the worthy is humane-
ness; deprecating the unworthy is humaneness as well’’ (Xunzi, Book
6: 6.9); ‘‘Thus, giving important responsibility to those whose abilities
are few is like giving a man whose strength is slight a heavy load.
He will have to let it go, break down under the load, and not go far’’
(Xunzi, Book 8: 8.6). He proposed that ‘‘The ruler should dangle the
prospect of noble rank and substantial incentives in order to entice
68 Yan-qin Peng, Chao-chuan Chen, and Xin-hui Yang