EASIA101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Chinese Buddhism, Guzheng, Tyrant
13 Sep 2015
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Document Summary
Nature (xing) in the teachings of mencius and xunzi. -xing meant the nature of a thing referred to one"s socio ethnical nature or human nature. Xunzi"s more negative view more influential at first. But later neo-confucianism (as well as chinese buddhism) mencius won out. Mencius (mengzi; c. 385-312 or 371- 289 bce: understanding of humane government ( ren zheng ) A ruler"s first responsibility is to make sure people are fed, clothed and house themselves. Only the tyrant uses force human nature mencius taught that government by moral example works because people are naturally attracted to the good. Good is pleasurable and nourishes their inherently good natures. The process of realizing or making real this innate goodness is a form of self realization. Simultaneously aligns one with heaven because heaven has already laid out the blueprint for goodness, inscribing it in the human mind. From the mengzi a record of mencius teachings.
