Two Visions of Confucianism: Mencius and Xunzi

Abstract

<p> Both Mencius and Xunzi regard themselves as stern defenders of Confucianism of their times, and they agree to a large extent on the contents and requirements of Confucian ethics and politics. Their major disagreement lies in the strategies they use to justify Confucianism. Mencius believes that Confucian ethics and virtues (and politics by extension) are grounded in human nature. The Heavenly-endowed qualities of human beings both explain and motivate our ethical pursuit. Xunzi, on the other hand, suggests that although we do have the natural capacities that make morality possible, such natural capacities are not moral by themselves. Like Mencius, Xunzi believes that human beings can and should become virtuous persons. Unlike Mencius, Xunzi does not believe that the process of ethical cultivation is akin to a process of natural growth. Mencius affirms, while Xunzi denies, that the heart-mind already contains the morally right answers. For Xunzi, morally right answers require extensive knowledge of human beings and their circumstances. It is simply impossible that we have such extensive knowledge by nature. <br></p>