Sen

Sunrita Sen

Honors 118

Professor Timothy Knepper

04/22/2009

Is human nature basically good, evil, or neutral?  Compare and contrast the positions of

Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi (Chun tzu) on human nature.

        

        The debate over whether human nature is intrinsically good, evil or neutral dates back to the

5th century BCE when Confucius and other Confucian philosophers pondered over the intrinsic

value of human nature time and again. In this paper, however, I hope to reveal the basic stances of

Confucius, his disciple Mencius and Mencius’ disciple Xunzi. I will try to prove that while Mencius

strongly supported the theory that human nature is basically good and Xunzi completely opposed

him to assert human nature was essentially bad, Confucius seems to have a lot to say for both sides

but no concrete stance in the matter. To begin with, I would like to clearly state what Confucian

philosophy believes and is based on.  

Philosophy in East Asia generally avoids abstract metaphysical speculation and focuses on

practical questions. Discussions of human nature tend to be related to concerns about social

problems and how to solve them. This practical orientation can be seen in Confucius’ (551–479

B.C.E.) teachings. Confucius lived during a time of social strife and his life was dedicated to

reforming China and returning it to the paradigms of the past. His study of ancient Chinese classics

led him to believe that during the reigns of the " kings", China had been well governed and

harmony had prevailed throughout their realms. This was accomplished by the moral force of their

personalities and their attention to social rituals not harsh punishments and excessive regulations.

Confucius saw them as examples of "noble men" (junzi), who embodied the best human virtues and

whose good qualities prompted others to strive for moral excellence. “Confucius believed that the

presence of such people in a society is the key to social harmony and that all men have the capacity

to become perfect exemplars of virtue.” (Xi, “Asian Thought”, par.2) Confucius proposed to resolve

the turmoil of his age by a return to the noble ways of Chinese antiquity.  Therefore, he sought

to create an educational system that would produce such ‘junzi’. This came to be known as the

Confucian Project which became an effort to transform society, to make it more peaceful and

harmonious, by changing the educational system of the time.

        The main problem identified by Confucius, thus, was the imbalance in society and the lack

of harmony. Confucius hoped to change this by bringing back old traditions and building on them

to find men who embodied virtues and could be considered junzis and thus worthy of a leadership

position. Not once, in his Analects, does Confucius clearly indicate whether he believes human

nature is good or bad but leaves several hints and open ended suggestions within the context of the

Join now!

text. On the one hand Confucius says that virtue is inborn in every human being and all he needs to

do is call it out, “Is benevolence so far away? I wish for benevolence, and benevolence is attained”

(Baird & Heimbeck, 314), which essentially means that he believes that human nature is intrinsically

good. From the political point of view, Confucius seems to propagate the idea that traditional

ethiocracy, which required the most virtuous to be ruler because virtue was in line with human

nature, was a political ideal. “Just desire the good yourself and ...

This is a preview of the whole essay