Hsun Tzu on Human Nature Berger Intro to Asian Religions

Hsun Tzu’s Historical Background  Hsun Tzu 荀子 ( BCE)  Born in north central China but emigrated to state of Ch’i to study Confucianism  Became a master of Ch’i Hsia Academy, a center of interscholastic philosophical learning  Advisor to Ch’i and several other imperial courts  Assassination of patron ended his political career  Most famous students, Li Si and Han Fei Tzu, became teachers of Legalist school, denouncing Confucianism

Important Terms  性 xing = “nature;” disposition, temperment  惡 e = “evil;” wicked, hateful  善 shan = “good;” beautiful, auspicious  情 qing = “emotion;” having heartfelt desires  偽 wei = “conscious activity;” artifice

Hsun Tzu’s Arguments for the Selfishness of Human Nature I  The natural tendency to be drawn to sense pleasures (pp )  Ancient sages realization of natural human selfishness (p. 493)  Ritual as learned, not inborn (493)  The contrast between natural emotional response and learned conscious activity (494-95)

Hsun Tzu’s Arguments for the Selfishness of Human Nature II  Since all desire comes from lack, desire for goodness also comes from its lack (495)  Mencius selectivity regarding morally good human emotions (496)  Explanation for religion and ritual resides in human selfishness (496)  Perfectibility of all human beings through attention to propriety (497)

A Review of the Confucian Debate on Human Nature  The issue of inborn emotions  Mencius: humans born with desire and reflection  Hsun Tzu: desires are inborn, reflection is learned  The issue of culture  Mencius: good culture comes from good nature  Hsun Tzu: culture meant to manipulate nature  Whose position is most plausible?

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