PHI 1103 Lecture 15: Mencius and Xunzia
7 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
We have the sprouts of morality but they must be cultivated to be moral people. If man"s nature was good (if man was inherently/ intrinsically good), then we wouldn"t need moral education and social rules, but practices of moral education, and laws/ rules have been instituted. If we were good, anarchy (no rules) would be fine. We can genuinely be transformed to become noble of character, we are not so by nature, we are made to be so. If ritual principles and concerted conscious activity were part of human nature, we could not praise good conduct and condemn evil. If good or evil are innate, then it is not their fault and we can"t blame the. But if good is the result of conscious effort then we can praise them. The conflict is between what"s nature and what"s the result of conscious activity. The gentleman and the petty man have the same nature.
