Q0285
“Learning must never stop.” — Xunzi (Xunzi, Encouraging Learning)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Xunzi, Encouraging Learning. Theme: learning.
English
Learning must never stop.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Xunzi, Encouraging Learning and files it under Confucianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Xunzi
Xunzi (Xun Kuang, c. 310–c.
Interpretation
Xunzi opens the Encouraging Learning with this, and the argument that follows explains why: on his account human nature is raw material that becomes good only through deliberate training, so stopping means the work is undone. Learning is therefore not enrichment but formation. The claim is continuous with his disagreement with Mencius — he does not think the materials are already inclined toward goodness, which is precisely why the process cannot conclude.
Why it matters
It sets a sterner standard than encouragement usually does: if formation is the point, then what matters is not having learned at some point but whether the practice continues.
Concepts in this quote
- Learning
- Learning is philosophy’s practical twin: how judgment is formed through study, error, dialogue, and habit.
- Cultivation
- Cultivation appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat cultivation as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Xunzi. (n.d.). Learning must never stop. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0285
MLA: Xunzi. “Learning must never stop..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0285.
Chicago: Xunzi. “Learning must never stop..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0285.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Learning must never stop.”?
The passage is attributed to Xunzi, Xunzi, Encouraging Learning. The archive attributes this English wording to Xunzi, Encouraging Learning and files it under Confucianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Xunzi mean by learning?
Education is not only information transfer; it is the shaping of attention and character. Confucian learning, Socratic midwifery, and Deweyan growth offer rival models. This passage enters that discussion through learning, cultivation.