How did Mencius and Xunzi differ on their views of human nature?
The two Confucians Mencius and Xunzi held opposing views about human nature. Mencius believed that human nature is good. Applying Xunzi’s theory, the differences would be that one practiced benevolence and righteousness, as well as followed the proper rules and standards, and one (Hitler) obviously did not.
What is Mengzi and Xunzi?
simple answer, familiar to anyone who has taken even an introductory course in Chinese philosophY, is that Mengzi thinks human nature is good, while Xunzi thinks human nature is evil.
What are the similarities of Mencius and Confucius?
Theoretically speaking, both Confucius and Mencius regard the universe as basic. One uses it to affirm the essence of life and define benevolence by feelings while the other uses it to affirm a philosophical essence and explain benevolence by human nature.
What is one of the key points of difference between Mencius and Xunzi with regard to their belief in human nature?
Human Nature. As Mencius is known for the slogan “human nature is good,” Xunzi is known for its opposite, “human nature is bad.” Mencius viewed self-cultivation as developing natural tendencies within us.
How did Xunzi and Mencius differ in their interpretations of Confucianism?
Mencius is generally considered an intuitionalist, an idealist, the maintainer of an overly optimistic conception of man, while Xunzi is presented in diametrically opposite terms — he is a rationalist, a pragmatist, the harbinger of a pessimistic vision and the initiator of that tendency to authoritarianism that.
How did Xunzi and Mencius differ in their interpretations of Confucianism quizlet?
Xunzi’s ideas differed from Confucius and Mencius in that he believed that humans selfishly pursued their own interests and resisted voluntary contributions to society. They also cared nothing of the principles of governing the world or the place of human beings in nature.
What did Mencius and Xunzi agree on?
Mencius and Xunzi held the belief that the appropriate kind of moral education can transform people, either making them better morally or protecting them from becoming morally worse. To them, human beings change, and the right kind of education could change human beings morally.
What did Xunzi teach?
Xunzi’s most famous dictum is that “the nature of man is evil; his goodness is only acquired training.” What Xunzi preached was thus essentially a philosophy of culture. Human nature at birth, he maintained, consists of instinctual drives which, left to themselves, are selfish, anarchic, and antisocial.
What are similarities of Confucius?
Confucius and Lao Tzu were both seekers of spiritual truth and were also contemporaries. Lao Tzu was 20 years Confucius’ senior. In his early 30s Confucius paid a visit to Lao Tzu, who was the famous author of the “Tao Te Ching” and a renowned philosopher in China.
What core belief did Xunzi share with Confucius and Mencius quizlet?
Like Confucius and Mencius what did Xunzi belive? That it was possible to improve human beings and restore order to society.
What does Xunzi mean when he says the mind should be empty unified and still?
Xunzi is referring to peace of mind rather than an attempt to unlearn what one has learned, as Laozi does, when he refers to the mind as being empty, unified and still.
Did Mencius and Xunzi have the same stance on human nature?
The aim of this paper is to focus on investigating the stance of two Eastern philosophers – Mencius and Xunzi. Nevertheless, regardless of the similar background of the two philosophers – both Mencius and Xunzi were ancient Chinese philosophers – their perception of the human nature is impressively differing.
What did Mencius believe about human nature?
In this case, the stress is laid on the biological aspect of the human nature. In particular, the author argues that Mencius believes that the things that all people share – hearing sounds, seeing environments, and striving for food in the same way – are all natural.
What is the main argument behind the Xunzi philosophy?
For instance, Chen (2001) believes that the main argument behind the Xunzi philosophy is that sage is predetermined by heaven before the birth of a human. In this way, the nature of the human is as well predetermined by heaven (p. 22).
What did Confucius criticize Yuan Si for?
Confucius criticized Yuan Si for rejecting his salary of nine hundred measures of grain as governor, because he could have given it to his neighbors. Confucius never gave up and believed that he was serving by being filial even if he was not in the government.