Mencius on human nature

Compare mencius and hsun tzu human nature free essays. Adrian, thanks for providing the useful article from the trusty stanford phil encyclopedia, especially because it has mencius aka mo tzus most famous argument in favor of an inherently good human nature. Mencius was a staunch champion of the confucian principle that human nature tends to what is morally good, and only runs to evil by reason of the perverse influences of external enviroment. Mencius believes that the goodness of human nature is like the downward class of water 147 in that people are of course inclined to be. Mencius is renowned for his theory on human nature. To turn mans nature into humanity and righteousness is like turning a willow tree into cups and baskets. Menciuss theory of the goodness of human nature, which traces the human potentiality for virtue to certain innate dispositions, has been interpreted as positing emotive grounds for morality. Hsun tzu believes that if man follows his nature and indulges in his natural desires, without transforming himself by. C laus mencius, the dialogues between mencius with the kings, military men, and other philosophers showed that mencius had a strong view on human nature that. The differences in views about human nature mencius and. The third and final viewpoint on inborn human nature came from yet another confucian follower. The nature of man may be likened to the willow tree, whereas righteousness may be likened to wooden cups and wicker baskets. Human nature and the pattern of moral life in mencius. Create amazing picture quotes from mencius quotations.

From this perspective it is apparent that human nature is evil, and that goodness is the result of conscious activity. These virtues will only develop fully if it is nurtured and put to. Again, trying to ground his belief that the way is achievable, mencius argues in book vi for his position that human nature is essentially good. Mencius, the latinized form of meng zi, a confucian philosopher whose influence was second to that of confucius, focused his theories and teachings on the subject of human nature. For mencius, the heart is a gift from the heavens which inherently contains compassion, shame, courtesy, and a sense of morality which will sprout into benevolence, dutifulness, observation of rites, and wisdom. The two confucians mencius and xunzi held opposing views about human nature. Against these ideas, mencius argues that heaven produces in human beings four potentials that define human nature, making it good, giving birth to four central virtues when actualized. This feeling is a manifestation of our innate tendency toward benevolence. Its fundamental positions, such as mencius famous argument in chapter 6a that human nature is inherently good, are usually presented as conversations between mencius and contemporaneous thinkers. Humans are good by nature human nature is like a seed, it requires the right environment and nourishment to flourish.

Mencius is most famous for his claim that human nature is good. Living in the fourth century bce, about one hundred years after confucius, mencius. Hsun tzus philosophies directly contradicted those of mencius and had a great effect on the chinese legal system. His treatise is one of the most noteworthy attempts to teach morality independently of religion. Its ingredients are benevolent knowledge and benevolent ability in mencius terms. He illustrates this by asking us to imagine a person who suddenly sees a child about to fall into a well. In particular, i shall argue that mencius commitment to this idea is strongly. Mencius on human nature essay example topics and well. Chinese mencius and xunzi on human nature essay essay. Mencius and xunzi both follow confucian doctrine yet have a dramatically different apprehension of human nature. Mencius gave the following explanation to show that human nature is. They are imbedded in us the time when we were born. Mencius, chinese pinyin mengzi or wadegiles romanization mengtzu, confucian text, named for its author, that earned for the 4thcenturybce philosopher the title ya sheng second sage.

Menciuss story on human nature ox mountain people seeing the baldness of the mountain assumes that it never had any green. On human nature introduction mencius mengzi, or meng ke was a particularly powerful advocate for the thought of confucius. Matthew walker, assistant professor, yalenus college. The mencius comprises seven chapters, each divided into two halves, with alternating short sayings and extensive dialogues on specific philosophical arguments. This does not mean that all people act accordingly. His theory with regard to human nature maintains that human beings share an inherent righteousness that can either be refined in the course of learning and selfwill or wasted through wanton abandon as well as unconstructive influences, but cannot be lost completely. The text consists of a series of short passages, and it does not unfold in a linear way. Soct, 1801 how does mencius define the concept of human nature in contrast to the definitions given by xunzi and gaozi. He explicitly criticized another confucian named mengzi, or, as he came to be known in the west, mencius, for holding that human nature is good. The mengzi is not laid out in the essaylike style typical of most western philosophy. Note that the arguments in the mengzi often presuppose a basic familiarity with confucian ideas and with the history and legends of ancient china.

Ait when mencius speaks of jenhsing he does mean human nature in a particular and clearly identifiable sense, though that sense may differ from certain mainstream western views, and that his conception directly entails the idea of a universal human nature. Summary of confucianism on human nature reason and meaning. Living a generation after mencius, xunzi lived through the. Xunzi believes that the early legendary sage kings created society because they realized that human nature is corrupt and they created a method for us to grow from our nature and become excellent in spite of it. I dont find the water flow analogy a very satisfying argument to explain why human nature is good. He does so in response to the philosopher kao tzu, who claimed that human nature is amoral. Mencius tries to refute the view that human nature is neither good nor bad, arguing that humans are inherently good. Every person is born instilled with four main virtues. Chief among his basic tenets was an emphasis on the obligation of rulers to provide for the. Mencius, book iv from these two examples we can see that mencius could easily be called an extremist on his view of inherently good human nature. Human nature is evil introduction xunzi xun qing, or xun kuang.

Chinese philosopher mencius asserted that human nature was. I recommend, if you havent seen it already, a very clear wireless introduction to mengzi by matthew walker. Confucius said in the doctrine of the mean, an accordance with nature is called. Hsun tzu for the past decades, the concept of human nature has become an increasingly contentious topic and the growing concern of why human beings behave the way they do has focused more attention. A growing number of respected sociologists, psychologists, and scientists have adequately researched on the topic. Moreover, when mencius says that human nature is good, he uses the word good shana, and it is quite different from the word agreeable yiiehb used in preceding paragraph.

A helpful passagebypassage explanation of mencius 6a15 in which mencius debates gaozi in order to establish some key arguments for the goodness of human nature and its consequences for morality. He was a follower of confucius and is best known for his view that human nature is bad. There should be soft regulations in the kingdom and everyone will get along and everyone will want to be a part of that kingdom. Included is a lucid explanation of the child falling into the well example 2a6 where mencius shows compassion to be innate and distinct from self. These virtues will only develop fully if it is nurtured and put to effect appropriately. Can human nature be good even if the world contains some notably bad people. Xunzi argues that mencius is confusing human nature with the results of conscious human activity and development.

I agree with a previous poster who compared mencius optimistic views of human nature as idealistic, in the same vein of rousseaus romantic view of human nature. Anyone, mencius claims, would have a feeling of alarm and compassion at this sight. Though the book was not generally recognized as a classic until the 12th century, a doctoral chair was established as early as the 2nd century bce to teach the mencius. Mencius mengzi on morality and human nature global. These challenges have caused problems for mankind and caused hatred. Mencius philosophy about human nature improves upon taoism and confucianism in that it is more rational in concern with the humans development in relation to its environment. Download file to see previous pages to account for how some people develop bad character in life despite having been born with the disposition to do good, mencius argued that, just as water can be manipulated and forced to flow against the low ground, it is also possible to manipulate human nature to be bad. Second, according to creels interpretation, mencius theory of human nature cannot be wrong because that it is good has been made a part of. Mencius asserted that human nature was innately good and only societys influence caused bad moral character, and that, through moral education. This has made it difficult to reconcile menciuss ethical theory with his clear emphasis on the role of thinking and on the need to extend the dispositional sprouts through the cognitive. Righteousness, ritual property, wisdom and benevolence. Taoists believed that humans did not need cultural refinement, adjustment, or molding based on an external environment, but that it was only their preexisting natural. The book of mencius is generally accepted as genuine. Another view of mencius is that righteousness is internal rather than external.

Like mencius, he was an advocate and interpreter of the teachings of confucius. Mencius, latin, chinese pinyin mengzi or wadegiles mengtzu, original name wadegiles meng ko, born c. The cultivation of these potentials is a persons most. Mencius believed that all humans had a sense of goodness inside them. Finally, the last book, vii, deals with issues of fate, destiny, and death.