Naturally Good or Bad? (孟子 Edition)

 "Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and knowledge belong to man as naturally as his four limbs, and may easily be exercised."

    I was having a conversation with a friend last night and the topic of human behavior came up. I took the opinion people are naturally good, but we are taught and or trained to be bad: selfish and greedy. I gave two examples: One being the human nature to raise a child out of love rather than profit and the other being a quote from Mencius (Mengzi, 孟子, 372 – 289 BCE). Cited below.

Mencius was a philosopher during the Warring States of China(403–221 BCE)) and he traveled extensively through the country giving advice to different kings on how to rule people. With great political turmoil all around us now and in part to my conversation last night, I thought it was apt to quote what someone else said 2000 years ago on the nature of humans.

Furthermore and contextually, I optimistically believe things are going to change for the better in our life time. If they don't we will pollute and extinct ourselves. I think with the advent of the internet, in moderation, our generation has the potential to not only change things for us all, but actually be in our natural state, rather than what is taught and engrained in us. Time will tell, for there is only a small window of opportunity. It is up to us, here and now.

The Book of Mencius, Book 2, Part 1, Ch. 6

"1. Mencius said, 'All men have a mind which cannot bear to see the sufferings of others.

2. 'The ancient kings had this sympathizing mind, and they, as a matter of course, had likewise a sympathizing government. When with a sympathizing mind was practised a sympathizing government, to rule the kingdom was as easy a matter as to make anything go round in the palm.

3. 'When I say that all men have a mind which cannot bear to see the sufferings of others, my meaning may be illustrated thus:-- even now-a-days, if men suddenly see a child about to fall into a well, they will without exception experience a feeling of alarm and distress. They will feel so, not as a ground on which they may gain the favour of the child's parents, nor as a ground on which they may seek the praise of their neighbours and friends, nor from a dislike to the reputation of having been unmoved by such a thing.

4. 'From this case we may perceive that the feeling of sympathy is essential to man, that the feeling of shame and dislike is essential to man, that the feeling of modesty and complaisance is essential to man, and that the feeling of approving and disapproving is essential to man.

5. 'The feeling of sympathy is the principle of benevolence. The feeling of shame and dislike is the principle of righteousness. The feeling of modesty and complaisance is the principle of propriety. The feeling of approving and disapproving is the principle of knowledge.

6. 'Men have these four principles just as they have their four limbs. When men, having these four principles, yet say of themselves that they cannot develop them, they play the thief with themselves, and he who says of his prince that he cannot develop them plays the thief with his prince.

7. 'Since all men have these four principles in themselves, let them know to give them all their development and completion, and the issue will be like that of fire which has begun to burn, or that of a spring which has begun to find vent. Let them have their complete development, and they will suffice to love and protect all within the four seas. Let them be denied that development, and they will not suffice for a man to serve his parents with.'"

If you would like to know more about Mencius or other ancient Chinese philosophers, such as  Confucius, Mozi, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, and Han Feizi I highly recommend this book.