Original Nature of Man

Original Nature of Man This essay is on the original nature of man as perceived by Lao Tzu, Confucius, Mencius, Kao Tzu and Hsun Tzu. The following will be my learning and understanding of each philosopher's idea on the inborn good and evil of man. Hsun Tzu, an exponent of the principles of Confucius, represents the realist wing and emphasized on social control and insisted upon the weakness of human nature. Hsun Tzu believes that …

…of Chinese thought, there cannot be an absolute right or wrong, good or evil. Labeling man as good or evil undercuts the various dimensions of human nature. All of the ideas and theories are important and together, they can constitute a comprehensive view of humanity. When nature prevails over culture, you get a savage; when culture prevails over nature, you get a pedant. When nature and culture are in balance, you get a gentleman (Analects)."