A response to: Mencius- Man’s Nature Is Good
Mencius is a disciple of, and the “most important figure next to Confucius himself, in the development of Confucianism” (Mencius 94). Mencius took some of Confucius’s vague teachings, and came up with his perspective on human nature. He uses a unique rhetorical style, where he makes his points through conversations with others. He lived during the Period of Warring States. A lot of philosophers arose during that time to answer the question, “What is the best way to ensure political stability? The general Confucian answer … is that a good government requires good leaders, and good leaders must be good people” (Mencius 94). Then a good government is one that best serves and is ruled by the people. …show more content…
So if someone is evil or bad it doesn't mean they are not capable of being good. Philosopher Kao Tzu views differ on human nature. He believed, “humans are neither … good nor ... evil, [he states], The nature of things is like swirling water”(Mencius 94-95). Water takes the shape of whatever it's put in. You put it in a jar, a bowl, a glass, a bucket it will take that shape. So, Kao Tzu believes that you start out with a “blank slate”, and depending on your environment, and circumstances you may encounter throughout your life, you will be molded or take the shape of your experiences, for better or worse. Mencius says, “that it’s true” (Mencius 95). Water can be manipulated and molded, but it doesn't depict the nature of the water. “Human nature is inherently good, just like water inherently flows downhill”(Mencius 95). There doesn't exist a waterfall where the water flows uphill, and so there does not exist a person who isn’t capable of being …show more content…
“If nature or fate” did it then let it be, don't try to change it. This philosophy is consistent with the rest of Taoism. The overall argument of the Tao te Ching is that human beings constitute a smaller part of a much larger whole, referred to as “the Tao” or “the Way” (Tzu 158). We can't change the way, but can work with it. So, Lao Tzu uses another metaphor to compare the nature of humans to water. “The World is a great river, and we are all floating on rafts” (Tzu 158). We can make our lives miserable by struggling to go against the stream, or conform to it and let it take us wherever it wants. The same thing goes for governing. “They should not make changes for the sake of changing things, but rather govern in a way that works with the natural order of the universe, and not against it. In contrast to Mencius, Lao Tzu relates more to Kao Tzu's philosophy that we’re born neither good or bad but that life will take us on our own
Mencius is a disciple of, and the “most important figure next to Confucius himself, in the development of Confucianism” (Mencius 94). Mencius took some of Confucius’s vague teachings, and came up with his perspective on human nature. He uses a unique rhetorical style, where he makes his points through conversations with others. He lived during the Period of Warring States. A lot of philosophers arose during that time to answer the question, “What is the best way to ensure political stability? The general Confucian answer … is that a good government requires good leaders, and good leaders must be good people” (Mencius 94). Then a good government is one that best serves and is ruled by the people. …show more content…
So if someone is evil or bad it doesn't mean they are not capable of being good. Philosopher Kao Tzu views differ on human nature. He believed, “humans are neither … good nor ... evil, [he states], The nature of things is like swirling water”(Mencius 94-95). Water takes the shape of whatever it's put in. You put it in a jar, a bowl, a glass, a bucket it will take that shape. So, Kao Tzu believes that you start out with a “blank slate”, and depending on your environment, and circumstances you may encounter throughout your life, you will be molded or take the shape of your experiences, for better or worse. Mencius says, “that it’s true” (Mencius 95). Water can be manipulated and molded, but it doesn't depict the nature of the water. “Human nature is inherently good, just like water inherently flows downhill”(Mencius 95). There doesn't exist a waterfall where the water flows uphill, and so there does not exist a person who isn’t capable of being …show more content…
“If nature or fate” did it then let it be, don't try to change it. This philosophy is consistent with the rest of Taoism. The overall argument of the Tao te Ching is that human beings constitute a smaller part of a much larger whole, referred to as “the Tao” or “the Way” (Tzu 158). We can't change the way, but can work with it. So, Lao Tzu uses another metaphor to compare the nature of humans to water. “The World is a great river, and we are all floating on rafts” (Tzu 158). We can make our lives miserable by struggling to go against the stream, or conform to it and let it take us wherever it wants. The same thing goes for governing. “They should not make changes for the sake of changing things, but rather govern in a way that works with the natural order of the universe, and not against it. In contrast to Mencius, Lao Tzu relates more to Kao Tzu's philosophy that we’re born neither good or bad but that life will take us on our own