Hsun Tzu’s “Man’s Nature is Evil” essentially states that “man’s nature is evil and goodness is the result of conscious activity.” One line I found interesting within the first page is the idea that because man is born with evil, hatred, and envy, and if this leads him toward violence and crime, “all sense of loyalty and good faith will disappear.” Because of this, it is argued in the text that a man must be guided by rituals and principles in order to maintain order and obey society’s rules. I also thought the fact that man’s nature being evil is out of one’s control, but goodness is something that is done consciously which also suggests the idea that teachers can help guide a person down this path through rituals, teachings, etc. This idea goes on to be discussed in the following paragraph and an analogy of a sharp piece of wood being laid into a straightening board is used to explain the idea that man’s nature is evil, thus, a teacher must give instructions for orderly principles to guide a person and help him steer away from evil and violence. This text also focuses a lot on the idea of people giving in to their passions and emotional nature, which is seen as petty and a disregard for teachings and rituals, rather than consciously striving toward goodness and attempting to learn.