Xunzi Human Nature Analysis

Source 3 – Selections from Xunzi: Human Nature is Evil (Week 5)

• How does Xunzi’s understanding of human nature compare to that of Mencius?

• Why might Xunzi and Mencius, from the same background, both self-appointed interpreters of Confucius, and only one generation apart, come up with their respective understandings of human nature?

• What implications does Xunzi’s understanding of human nature have for family life and government?

Xunzi believes that human nature is inherintally evil and that people are born their sensory desires which, when indulged, will lead to ‘licentiousness and chaos’.

Mencius argues that human nature is originally good.

the main difference between Xunzi’sandMencius’sconcep-

tions of xing lies in their different

conceptions of the heart/mind. In making their respective state-
men ts on xing, what Mencius and Xunzi are primar ily convey ing is their disagreem ent on what
the natural preference of heart/mind is, and what mak es it possible for the heart/mind to find
pleasure in goodness.

While Xunzi thinks that the hear t/mind naturally prefers sel f-i nterest,

Me ncius thinks that the heart/mind naturally prefers propriety.

the main difference between Xunzi’sandMencius’sconcep-

tions of xing lies in their different conceptions of the heart/mind. In making their respective state-

men ts on xing, what Mencius and Xunzi are primar ily convey ing is their disagreem ent on what

the natural preference of heart/mind is, and what mak es it possible for the heart/mind to find

pleasure in goodness. While Xunzi thinks that the hear t/mind naturally prefers sel f-i nterest,

Me ncius thinks that the heart/mind naturally prefers propriety.

the main difference between Xunzi’sandMencius’sconcep-

tions of xing lies in their different conceptions of the heart/mind. In making their respective state-

men ts on xing, what Mencius and Xunzi are primar ily convey ing is their disagreem ent on what

the natural preference of heart/mind is, and what mak es it possible for the heart/mind to

find
pleasure in goodness. While Xunzi thinks that the hear t/mind naturally prefers sel f-i nterest,
Me ncius thinks that the heart/mind naturally prefers propriety
The main difference between Xunzi’s and Mencius’s conceptions of human nature lies in their different conceptions of the heart and mind. In making their respective statements on human nature, what Mencius and Xunzi are primarily conveying is their disagreement on what the natural preference of heart and mind is, and what makes it possible for the heart and mind to find pleasure in goodness. While Xunzi thinks that the heart and mind naturally prefers self-interest, Mencius thinks that the heart/mind naturally prefers propriety

Source 5 – Prince Shotoku’s Constitution (Week 11)
• What specifically Confucian influences can you identify in the Constitution? What specifically Buddhist influences can you identify?
• What does this Constitution establish as the most important values in government?
• Why did Prince Shotoku look to Chinese models when he wrote this Constitution?
• What are the position and role of the ruler in this system? Was this Constitution designed to make the ruler more or less powerful than in Japan's existing form of government?

If you borrow from China as the Japanese did, you automatically get Confucianism.

Confucianism is fundamental to Chinese civilization, much more so than Buddhism. It is essentially a socio-political creed. Basically, Confucianism is concerned about the development of ethical behaviour, starting with individuals, and then the individuals using this developed ethical behaviour in the public arena, serving as ministers of the state. In the central thinking of Confucianism, it is not enough to develop your own ethical qualities. You are then duty bound to try to use these in the service of the state, and the state in Confucian terms ought to be a state that is run by ethical men.

- Article 4: ‘The ministers and officials of state should make proper behaviour their first principle’

- Article 4: ‘When people behave properly the Government will be in good order’ -> Common link of Confucian idea of ethical behaviour a public issue.

The introduction of a system similar to China’s mandate of heaven to strengthen the power and validity of the Emperor. However, unlike China, Japan removed the idea in China that if the emperor was failing in his duties that it would be reason for him to be removed from the throne, the emperor being responsible for everything down to nature itself. Instead Shotoku’s constitution, while still claiming the Emperor’s connection to heaven, went to claim that it was on the onus of the ‘inferior’ to obey and that if they didn’t, it is then that the natural result

would be ruin.
- Position of the ruler in this system would be placed at the pinnicale of society. They would act as an intermediate to higher powers and heaven, supposedly able to hear the lord speak and pass on correct behaviour to the rest of the country.
- He had power over all and was to dictate to everybody below him what they were meant to do.
- This definitely was intended to make the sovereign much more powerful than in the existing system in Japan. At this point in time in the late 6th century, there was unrest as the Yamato rulers sought more power each for themselves. At this point there were many clan chieftains or (Daiymo). By consolidating the country under one leader, it would provide this individual power over all.
Article 2 is a clear indication of the Buddhist influence through the incorporation of Buddhist ideals and teaching into Japanese daily life. To class them as the ‘Three treasures’ and the final refuge for all living things.
Harmony is establishes as one of the most important values in government -> first article solely on harmony and it is a reoccurring theme for the entire constitution.
It is possible that the reasoning behind Shotoku basing this constitution off Chinese models was his attempt to recreate a Chinese society in Japan that provided stability and control to the government. China already had a model that provided centralised and incisive power which would have been attractive to Japanese leaders that wished to bring all the smaller clans under one control.

Source 9 – Excerpts from the Buddha-carita (Week 3)
• In Book II, what do we learn about Siddhartha’s life in the palace, and why is his father, the King, anxious?
• In Book III, what made the prince return to the palace? What did the king do to try to stop his son’s suffering?
• In Book V, what is the prince afraid will happen to him as he gets older and what is his response?

- His life was filled with many materialistic things, receiving gifts of all sorts.
- His father, the king was anxious for his son as a great seer had predicted Siddhartha’s future, which was ‘to embrace transcendental happiness’. The king attempted to care for his sensual pleasures and as the prince grew up, his father found him a wife from high standing and surrounded his son with these pleasures.

- The prince returned to the palace when he saw a sick man and becomes aware of sickness and that it affects all people. This revelation along with others in Book 3 open the prince’s eyes to the true nature of humanity for the first time.
- The king, who was aware of the hardships of life, attempted to shield his son from it so he wouldn’t suffer by clearing the road of ‘all those who had mutilated limbs or maimed senses, the decrepit and the sick and all squalid beggars’ to make the highway and city look beautiful.
- When the king found out that his son was distressed from having seen the ill man on the side of the street, he arranged to entertain his son with ‘all kinds of worldly enjoyments to their highest point’ in order to return joy to his son’s life.
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Source 13 – An Imperial Edict Restraining Officials from Evil (Week 9)
• (In relation to the first excerpt) On what philosophical assumptions are the Hongwu Emperor's words and actions based?
• (In relation to the second excerpt) Does the emperor's approach to solving the problem of evil behaviour in the second excerpt differ from that of the first? If so, how?
• (In relation to the second excerpt) On what philosophical assumptions are the emperor's words based?

In this paragraph, it talks about Hongwu, the emperor, and his beliefs in a society. The emperor believed that wrong doings in an empire would lead to corruption. Generally, he is talking about moral uprightness. The philosophical assumption is being honest and being right. However, more importantly, it is about how people can be taught and changed which is the idea of Confucianism.
I think he is assuming that if all these people keep on doing the bad things they’re doing such as using money for greed and ignoring false charges, then it will lead to a disaster and a fall in the empire. If people are not punished for their wrongdoings, they will end up causing corruption in the empire which can eventually lead to a decline.

Yes, the emperor's approach to solving the problem differs from the first solution. In the first paragraph, it talks about the ideas of Hongwu, his ideas of moral uprightness, and his thoughts of beating his subjects to solve the problem. In the second paragraph, it talks about how the evil behaviors should be avoided and how he has achieved that.
The tone of the emperor’s approach is different between these two passages. The first passage sounds like an important announcement that the emperor is making, while the second passage is more like how he resisted from the temptation from the evil. The second passage tells people how to resist from these temptation such as, beautiful girls, valuable objects, and music.

A major Chinese philosophy is confucianism and that is all about morals and doing the right thing. He is basing his words on moral behavior and doing the right thing, avoiding things that are not really important in life even if it is tempting.