Man is a confusing subject and I think we all know that. Is Man inherently good? Is Man inherently bad? Is man born with a certain intent? There are so many questions that we can hypothetically ask ourselves to try and better understand one another but at the end of the day, I would like to argue that there is no solid answer when it comes to man. I think in Mencius and Hsun Tzu’s writings, we know there are a few sides to every argument and they also bring up great points to think about.
With Mencius, he explains how man needs to be thinking, man needs to cultivate his/her higher self, and need to develop to the fullest extent. I like Mencius’s insight, but I also like a few aspects of Hsun Tzu’s writing. He explains how man is into beauty and profit which possibly makes us evil. He explains how a few things may impact man: mentor/teachers, environment man lives in, and needs that need to be satisfied. The article is called “Man’s Nature Is Evil” and still after reading, I see Tzu’s argument but I personally think man is good and that there is more good than evil in the world. Of course I am going to be optimistic towards man and I know there are evil people out there, but I think the majority of human kind is good and have solid morals. Man is inherently good and will evolve in many ways so that is why this discussion will never be complete and is something to always be thinking about.