Hsun Tzu Or Mencius's Argumently Good Or Evil?

The essence of humanity is laid out in the words of Thomas Hobbes, “The state of humanity is war” (94). Although it is not a perfect theory, it is, by far, the strongest theory proposed. After all, from the beginning of humanity, we have been in a state of war. It is not necessarily a war where conflicting parties bear arms, but it is a war where conflicting parties struggle for survival.

Even before our infantile bodies exit the womb of our mothers, we are at war. As tiny embryos, we struggle to survive inside the confines of our mothers. We depend on the incoming nutrients from our mothers to grow. As a result, we feed on the life force of the person who gave birth to us. Already at an early stage, we were fighting for survival. From

Just because we are born in a state of war, it does not mean Hsun Tzu’s theory that we are all born inherently evil (84), or Mencius’s theory that we are all born inherently good (78) is justified. Our state of war is to ensure our survival. Even if one were to assume that Hsun Tzu’s or Mencius’s theories were true, their theories are impossible. If all men are born inherently good, then evil cannot appear. Men cannot make one another evil if they are all born good. Likewise, if all men are born inherently evil, then goodness could not exist. Men cannot make one another good if they are all born

Their interests, specifically those vital for survival, propel them to oppose everyone else’s. When in nature and when resources are scarce, animals at the top of the food chain do not yield to one another. Instead, they compete for the scarce resources. This same situation also applies to man. In a “state of nature” without laws or social structure, men act as animals (94). They compete for resources such as food and water. After all, all men desire the same end. They wish their stomachs to be satiated, their mouths to be quenched, and their bodies to be