First of all, Mencius said: "The goodness of human nature is like water flowing down. All people are good, and water is all flowing down." ("Mencius_Gaozi 1") The goodness here is "not tolerant of others" heart". He further said: "The heart of compassion is benevolence; the heart of shame and disgust is righteousness; the heart of respect is etiquette; the heart of right and wrong is wisdom. Benevolence, righteousness, etiquette, and wisdom are not imposed on me from outside, but are inherent in me. " "Gao Zi 1"; Secondly, Mencius's "nature" emphasizes the difference between species. He believes that the statement that "life is called human nature" can easily confuse the difference between human nature and animal nature, so he particularly emphasizes "category". ". "Therefore, all those who are of the same kind are similar, so why should I doubt it? The sage is the same as me." ("Gaozi 1") The human nature he mentioned refers to the unique morality of human beings. Here, Mencius's view of human nature overturns Confucius's view that "sages" are unattainable. He believes that the reason why human nature is good is that benevolence, justice, propriety and wisdom can be produced based on the unique physiological and psychological conditions of human beings. Therefore, goodness is the inherent nature of human beings.

Source: Journal of Hubei Correspondence University