Mencius and Xunzi, on Human Nature

Mencius (Mengzi, c. 371-289 BCE) and Xunzi (c. 310-238 BCE) were two Chinese Confucian philosophers who had very different views of human nature. Their dispute had an influence on the subsequent development of Confucianism, since Mencius had a greater influence on Neo-Confucian philosophers such as Zhu Xi (1130-1200 CE), while Xunzi had a greater influence on Legalist philosophers such as Han Feizi (c. 280-233 BCE).

      Mencius believed that human nature is good, insofar as all human beings tend to have a sense of compassion, a sense of shame, a sense of deference and compliance, and a sense of right and wrong. Without these moral capacities, we would not be fully human. The sense of compassion is the "sprout" of humaneness (ren), the sense of shame is the "sprout" of righteousness (yi), the sense of deference and compliance is the"sprout" of propriety (li), and the sense of right and wrong is the "sprout" of wisdom (zhi). All human beings have these four sprouts, says Mencius, just as they have four limbs (2A6).¹

      The four sprouts are innate potentials for human goodness.They must be nurtured and cultivated if they are to flourish and we are to become fully human. If they are not nurtured, then we may lose our innate potential for goodness. However, goodness (humaneness) can always overcome evil (inhumaneness), just as water can overcome fire (6A18).² Everyone is capable of becoming good.
      Xunzi, on the other hand, says that human nature is inherently evil. If a son defers to his father or a younger brother defers to his older brother, then this is not because the son or the younger brother are naturally unselfish and compliant. It is because they have overcome their inborn disposition to be selfish and noncompliant. Any good actions that we are able to perform require us to exert deliberate effort in order to overcome our inborn tendency to be selfish. Only by following the example of moral teachers and moral standards of conduct can we become deferential and compliant.³ If human beings were naturally unselfish and compliant, then there would be no need to follow the benevolent example of the ancient sage kings.⁴
      Mencius's position on human nature has an advantage over Xunzi's insofar as it encourages us to look within ourselves for kindness and compassion, as opposed to seeking external models or standards. It also has an advantage insofar as it allows for compassionate actions that are performed spontaneously, as opposed to actions that are only performed after careful deliberation. Mencius sees human beings as having a heart of compassion, and as being able to perform actions from the heart, as opposed to Xunzi, who sees human beings as being able to perform virtuous actions only after conscious deliberation. Thus, Mencius may better explain than Xunzi why we may be emotionally affected or moved when we are confronted by the spontaneous kindness and generosity of others, because such kindness and generosity seems to come from the heart, rather than from conscious deliberation.

FOOTNOTES

¹Mencius, translated by Irene Bloom, edited by Philip J. Ivanhoe (New York: Columbia University Press, 2009), p. 35.
²Ibid., p. 131.

³Xunzi, translated by Eric L. Hutton (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014), p. 248.

⁴Ibid., p. 252.