Xun Zi (The Book of Xunzi) is the collection of the sayings of Xunzi, a representative of the Confucians. But his thought differed greatly from Mengzi. Opposite to Mengzi, Xunzi thought that the nature of human being was evil. He said that it was impossible to have the inborn oracle because the nature was evil. The kind humanity resulted from postnatal teaching. Liu Xiang compiled Xun Zi in altogether 32 articles in the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-8AD).

Influenced by Laozi of Taoism, Xunzi thought the heaven had no volition, but a nature for growing plants and animals, with no decisive influence on the luck and fortune of human beings, leading to the thought that man should conform to the nature but could also alter the nature, in another words, i.e. man could conquer the nature.

Xunzi stressed rites as well as the law, which is his contribution to further developing Confucianism. Later on, two of his disciples, Li Si and Han Fei, became the representatives of the Legists. He thought rites acted as a big role in coordinating the human relation. He disseminated the kingcraft thoughts of Confucians, suggesting persuading others by virtues instead of pressing others by force. He assimilated kings to a boat and people to water, and said the water could both carry the boat and overturn it, reminding the kings of the collapse of the regimes just like boats overturned by water if they amassed wealth via heavy taxation and too severe punishment. He suggested running a country through rites and morality, together with the penalty.