Confucianism Essay - 2049 Words

Confucianism Mencius vs Hsun Tzu nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Is man naturally good or is he evil? This question has not only been pondered by countless philosophers, but also by religious leaders around the world. Most often a single religious faith believes in either one or the other, and often these beliefs tend to create a certain world-view which dictates much of the faith. However, in some cases such as the one I will be discussing, two religious dignitaries do not agree and the repercussions of this can be found throughout the religion. The two men are Mencius, an early pupil of Confucius and Hsun Tzu, a later follower of the same faith. Mencius believed that each man, born of woman, would be naturally good and Hsun Tzu†¦show more content†¦Not much is known about Mencius or Hsun Tzu, but some basic information stirs around various interpretations of their works. Mencius was found to be one of the most important pupils of Confucius, he continued his work and added many new outlooks and clarity to some of Confuciusamp;#8217; teachings. Hsun Tzu, on the other hand, was a very well journeyed man. He had been surrounded by war, involved in politics and had a much greater variety of experience than that of Mencius or Confucius. Hsun Tzu came be a few years after Menciusamp;#8217; death and put a spin on Confucian beliefs and ideas. The difference in their beliefs is where the faith is defined, through the teachings of Mencius and Hsun Tzu a large problem arose. This problem was their views on human nature. Their differing ideas came to shape Confucianism into what it is today, and their differing world-views can explain a lot about their teachings. When dealing with these two ideas, we must first decipher what is meant by amp;#8220;nature; in the sense that Mencius and Hsun Tzu discuss. They are calling nature all the abilities that man is born with, the instincts which make a man human. Gut feelings, emotions and passions that are instilled in every human being from the moment of their conception. And finally a world-view is, as philosophers would call it, an idea with which other ideas are based. An idea which influences basic decision making andShow MoreRelatedConfucianism : Taoism, Confucianism, And Confucianism1156 Words   |  5 PagesRaymond Cho EALC 350 October 29, 2014 Professor Birge Which philosophy: Taoism, Confucianism, or Legalism would be best in your opinion for maintaining a peaceful society? Why? Perhaps there is no single philosophy that can create a truly peaceful society. The conundrum of choosing a philosophy to embody a peaceful society is rather complicated, as the ideologies of the philosophies often differ greatly from their real world application. 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