What does Mencius believe about human nature? What does Xun Zi believe about human nature? Who do you line up with? Why?
Mencius believes that human nature is inherently good. For example, in Book 2, part 1, chapter 6. Mencius claims that, "Men have these four principles just as they have their four limbs". He believed that all men had the qualities of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and knowledge.
Xun Zi expresses his belief that human nature is bad. He believes that humans are born with a love for profit in which they will struggle and snatch from each other. He believes that humans must be disciplined like a warped piece of wood.
I agree with Xun Zi because he believe that human nature is bad and can be corrected by education. Without educating people on good morals, they will not know anything good. Without discipline, people will not be forced to become better humans. In today's times, parents can give punishments to their child to fix their behavior by grounding them or taking something away from them. I believe Mencius's view is too optimistic and is giving the benevolence of human nature too much credit.
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