1. Born good or born evil?
—— 强薇
秦臻榛

2. Mencius and His Theory of Original Goodness of Human Nature
Man’s nature at birth is good.
人之初，性本善
-Three Character Primer(三字经)
All people were inherently good.
Negative environmental influences.

3. Xunzi and His Theory of Original Evil of Human Nature
性恶论
人性之恶。其善者，伪也。
Man's Nature is Wayward
All people are born with natural tendencies toward “waywardness”

4. Comparison between the Two Theories
Mencius:
恻隐之心，人皆有之；羞恶之心，人皆有之；恭敬之心，人皆有之；是非之心，人皆有之.
恻隐之心，仁之端也；羞恶之心，义之端也；恭敬之心，礼之端也；是非之心，智之端也.
Xunzi:
目好色，耳好声，口好味，心好利，骨体肤理好愉快
饥而欲食，寒而欲暖，劳而欲息，好利而恶害
凡人有所一同

5. Comparison Consensus:
Human nature is changeable. Nature can influence but cannot decide one’s life.
Mencius: Man can lose his original goodness
Xunzi: Man can get rid of his original evil
Accordant with the humaneness of Ru
The practical principles of “pursuing”（求）and “learning”（学）

6. Difference:
Mencius:
Develop your potential goodness
Emphasize man’s social property
Xunzi:
Eschew evil and do good
Emphasize man’s natural property

7. A highly moralized society
All Roads Lead to Rome
Develop potential goodness by social moralization
Eschew evil and do good by social moralization
A highly moralized society

8. Different Methods to Realize Social Moralization
Mencius：
Fundamental approach is self-cultivation
Keep and enhance one’s original goodness
富贵不能淫，威武不能屈，贫贱不能移
Xunzi:
Regulate a person with rites exerted by the society
必求于外 积善成德

9. Conclusion From our point of view: Disagree:
About human nature, a man cannot be born good or evil.
It is not nature but nurture matters
Agree:
The importance of social cultivation.

10. Thank You~