Human Nature 1

Mencius (孟子 )

372-289 His is one of the 4 books Career mirrored Confucius’

Born in Zou Studied under Zisi Wandered amongst states Unsuccesfully sought

official positions Minister in Qi (319-312)

Gathered students

Challenges to Confucianism

Two rivals

The words of Yang Zhu and Mo Di fill the country. If you listen to people's discourses throughout it, you will find that they have adopted the views either of Yang or of Mo. Now, Yang's principle is "each one for himself," which does not acknowledge the claims of the sovereign. Mo's principle is "to love all equally," which does not acknowledge the peculiar affection due to a father. But to acknowledge neither king nor father is to be in the state of a beast.

M3b9

Challenges to Confucianism

Two rivals Mozi – interests of all are equally valued Yang Chu – one’s own interests are supreme

Third rival? Legalists

Much more important than Yang Chu They largely agreed with Yang Chu on human motivations

Interests (利 , lì)

The pursuit of interests will not likely result in moral acts

What is the point of mentioning the word “profit”? All that matters is that there should be benevolence and rightness.

…

No benevolent man ever abandons his parents, and no dutiful man ever puts his prince last.

M1a1

Human Nature (性 , xìng)

Our ability to be trained in the virtues depends on our nature

Many different views current

‘Gaozi said, “There is neither good nor bad in human nature.”

…

‘But others say, “Human nature can become good or it can become bad.

…

‘Then there are others who say, “There are those who are good by nature, and there are those who are bad by nature.

M6a6

Human Nature (性 , xìng)

Gàozĭ (告子 ), ca. 420–350

Appetite for food and sex is nature

M6a1

Human Nature is as subject to influence as water

Human Nature (性 , xìng)

Against Gàozĭ

It is certainly the case,’ said Mencius, ‘that water does not show any preference for either east or west, but does it show the same indifference to high and low?

…

Now, in the case of water, by splashing it one can make it shoot up higher than one’s forehead, and by forcing it one can make it stay on a hill. How can that

be the nature of water?

M6a2

Human Nature (性 , xìng)

Gàozĭ The nature of a thing is the set of properties that are common to all

instances of that thing Hence, food and sex

Mencius The nature of a thing is that which is the unique possibility of that

thing. Food and sex are common to all animals ‘heart’ (心 , xīn) is unique to Man

Heart (心 , xīn)

A cognitive faculty capable of judgement Unlike other faculties

The organs of hearing and sight are unable to think and and can be misled by external things… The organ of the heart can think.

M6a15

Some now call it the ‘Heart/Mind’ Allows us to transcend interests and judge ‘morally’

Heart (心 , xīn)

All men are capable of the first steps to moral judgement First proof:

My reason for saying that no man is devoid of a heart sensitive to the suffering of others is this. Suppose a man were, all of a sudden, to see a young child on the verge of falling into a well. He would certainly be moved to compassion, … From this it can be seen that whoever is devoid of the heart of compassion is not human

M2a6

Heart (心 , xīn)

All men are capable of the first steps to moral judgement First proof:

My reason for saying that no man is devoid of a heart sensitive to the suffering of others is this. Suppose a man were, all of a sudden, to see a young child on the verge of falling into a well. He would certainly be moved to compassion, … From this it can be seen that whoever is devoid of the heart of compassion is not human

M2a6

Heart (心 , xīn)

All men are capable of the first steps to moral judgement First proof:

My reason for saying that no man is devoid of a heart sensitive to the suffering of others is this. Suppose a man were, all of a sudden, to see a young child on the verge of falling into a well. He would certainly be moved to compassion, … From this it can be seen that whoever is devoid of the heart of compassion is not human

M2a6

Note: this doesn’t mean we will all act morally in this situation, but we will have an appropriate feeling (if we are humans)

Heart (心 , xīn)

All men are capable of the first steps to moral judgement Second proof:

The sages existed before there was anyone to teach morality the sages did nevertheless become moral Therefore the sages were capable of making themselves moral The heart of the sage is of the same kind as the heart of all men Therefore it is possible for all men, even today, to become

moral.

Virtues - Origins

There are four universal intuitions, and they are the necessary bases of four virtues

The heart of compassion is the germ [duan, 端 ] of benevolence [rén]; the heart of shame, of dutifulness [yì]; the heart of courtesy and modesty, of observance of the rites [lǐ]; the heart of right and wrong, of wisdom [zhì, 智 ].

M2a6

Virtues - Development

How can we turn those four intuitions into real virtues? Reflection and Extension

The organ of the heart can think. But it will only find the answer if it does think; otherwise it will not find the answer

M6a15

But what kind of thinking?

Virtues - Development

How can we turn those four intuitions into real virtues? Reflection and Extension

Note similarities between situations that inspire the heart and those that don’t

Consider them thoughtfully If you judge they are similar in the right ways, then your intuitions

will extend their range to include the situation that was outside your initial concern

Consider King Xuan and the Ox

Virtues - Development

King Xuan of Qi

Saw an ox going to sacrifice Thought it looked sad, like an innocent man going to be executed Spared it and said take a lamb instead

If you can extend compassion even to an ox, then you can extend it wherever it is appropriate

Virtues - Development

Note: Virtue is not a matter of principles The lamb was still sent to slaughter

There is no harm in this. It is the way of a benevolent man. You saw the ox but not the lamb

M1a7

This is a general feature

Not to help a sister-in-law who is drowning is to be a brute. It is prescribed by the rites that, in giving and receiving, man and woman should not touch each other, but in stretching out a helping hand to the drowning sister-in-law one uses one’s discretion

M4a17

Virtues - Nourishment

The seeds need to be nourished by qì (氣 /气 ) Qì is a part-physical, part-spiritual universal flux Gross qì descends; refined qì ascends The body attracts gross qì; the heart requires refined qì. qì is replenished overnight The heart must be fit to receive

and retain this qì

Virtues – The Problem of Evil

Consider the state of Ox Mountain

Mencius said. ‘There was a time when the trees were luxuriant on Ox Mountain. As it is on the outskirts of a great metropolis, the trees are continually lopped by axes. Is it any wonder that they are no longer fine? With the respite they get in the day and in the night, and the moistening by the rain and dew, there is certainly no lack of new shoots coming out, but then the cattle and sheep come to graze upon the mountain. That is why it is as bald as it is. People, seeing only its baldness, tend to think that it never had any trees. But can this possibly be the nature of a mountain?

M6a8

Virtues – Why be good?

First reason Success in the pursuit of interests is determined by fate (mìng, 命 )

You cannot control it Your efforts in this direction are in vain Don’t do that

Concentrate on that whose success you can determine The development of your own heart is up to you Do that

Virtues – Why be good?

Second reason Be better than the beasts and birds

That whereby Man differs from the birds and beasts is but slight. The mass of people cast it away, whereas the superior man preserves it

M4b19

Be better than small men

Those who follow that part of themselves which is great are great men, and those who follow that part of themselves which is small are small men

M6a15