Mencius said that human nature is good. In Mencius' "Gao Zi Shang", Mencius proposed that "water trust can not distinguish between things, nor can it be equal to the goodness of human nature, even better than water. There is nothing wrong with people, and there is nothing wrong with water. Today, my husband's water, beating and jumping, can make it too long; If you are excited, you can make it in the mountains. Is this the nature of water? Its potential is natural. People can be bad, but their nature is still good. "

The content of Mencius' theory of good nature

Mencius' theory of good nature is widely known in China, and he is also the most staunch and powerful supporter of the theory of good nature. After all, Mencius was regarded as the "Asian sage" after Confucius by later generations, and his status and influence were immeasurable. Therefore, for a long time, the view that human nature is good has occupied an orthodox position, and Mencius' theory of human nature is not just a rhetoric. In some of his works, there is a certain introduction to the theory of "good nature"

For example, in Gao Zi, Mencius tried to prove the correctness of the view that human nature is good, but it was obviously a bit far-fetched. Mencius believed that the main reason why people are different from other animals is that they have "benevolence", which Mencius attributed to benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom and faith.