Naming under convention and under a paradox
Xunzi addresses how agreed usage makes a name fitting; Laozi questions the constancy of names that can be named. Their shared 名 is an invitation to compare predicates and aims, not a warrant to assign one theory of language to both.
名無固宜，約之以命，約定俗成謂之宜The paragraph relates fitness to convention.
tls · CC BY-SA 4.0 · KR3a0002_022.txt, lines 185–195名可名，非恒名The opening juxtaposes naming with constancy.
tls · CC BY-SA 4.0 · KR5c0057_001.txt, lines 14–25Make the comparison explicit
Xunzi addresses how agreed usage makes a name fitting; Laozi questions the constancy of names that can be named. Their shared 名 is an invitation to compare predicates and aims, not a warrant to assign one theory of language to both.
荀子: The paragraph relates fitness to convention.
老子: The opening juxtaposes naming with constancy.
What grounds a name’s fit in the Xunzi excerpt?
Established agreement and customary use.
Shared words, images, or constructions do not by themselves establish common meaning, authorship, or origin. An explicit citation is identified only where the wording itself supports it.
zimai · AI-assisted editorial notes · Editorial pilot · not independently reviewed. Original learning material: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source text, scholarly reference, and editorial interpretation remain separately attributed.