8 Xunzi: The Nature of Man is Evil
(China, ca. 275 BCE)

The nature of man is evil; his goodness is only acquired through training. The original nature of man today is to seek gain. If this desire is followed, strife and rapacity results and courtesy dies. Man is originally envious and naturally hates others. If these tendencies are followed, injury and destruction follow; loyalty and faithfulness are destroyed. Man originally possesses the desires of the ear and eye; he likes praise and is lustful. If these are followed, impurity and disorder results, and the rules of proper conduct and justice and etiquette are destroyed…

Crooked wood needs to undergo steaming and bending to conform to the carpenter’s rule; only then is it straight. Blunt metal needs to undergo grinding and whetting; only then is it sharp. The original nature of man today is evil, so he needs to undergo the instruction of teachers and laws, only then will he be upright. He needs the rules of proper conduct and justice, only then will there be good government. But man today is without good teachers and laws; so he is selfish, vicious, and unrighteous. He is without the rules of proper conduct and justice, so there is rebellion, disorder, and no good government.

In ancient times the Sage-Kings knew that man’s nature was evil, selfish, vicious, unrighteous, rebellious, and of itself did not bring about good government. For this reason, they created the rules of proper conduct and justice; they established laws and ordinances to force and beautify the natural feelings of man, thus rectifying them. Then good government arose, and men followed the right Way.

Now the people who are influenced by good teachers and laws, who accumulate literature and knowledge, who are led by the rules of proper conduct and justice become superior men. Those who give rein to their natural feelings, who take joy in haughtiness, and break the rules of proper conduct and justice, become small-minded men. By this line of reasoning, it is evident that the original nature of man is evil, and his goodness is acquired.

Mencius says, “The fact that men are teachable shows that their original nature is good.” I reply: This is not so. This is not understanding the nature of man, nor examining the original nature of man, nor the part played by acquired elements. Whatever belongs to original nature is the gift of Nature. It cannot be learned. It cannot be worked for. The Sage-Kings brought forth the rules of proper conduct and justice. Men learn them and gain ability; they work for them and obtain results in the development of character. What cannot be learned and cannot be worked for, what is in the power of Nature only is what is meant by original nature. That which can be learned and which gives men ability, which can be worked for and which brings results in the development of character, whatever is in the power of man is what is meant by acquired character. This is the distinction between original nature and acquired character…

Now the nature of man is that when he is hungry, he desires nourishment; when he is cold, he desires warmth; when he labors, he seeks rest. This is man’s natural feeling. But now when a man is hungry and sees food, he dares not rush in ahead of others [who should go first according to proper conduct]; instead the eater yields to others. When working, he dares not seek rest, instead he works for others. The son yields precedence to his father, the younger brother yields to his older brother; the son works for his father, the younger brother works for his older brother – these two kinds of actions are contrary to original nature and antagonistic to natural feeling. Yet, there is the doctrine of filial piety, the etiquette of the rules of proper conduct and justice. If a person follows his natural feelings, he has no courtesy; if he has courtesy, then it is antagonistic to his natural feelings. By this line of reasoning, it is evident that man’s original nature is evil and his goodness is acquired…

In ancient times, the Sage-Kings knew that man’s nature was evil, that it was partial, bent on evil, and corrupt, rebellious, disorderly, without good government, hence they established the authority of the prince to govern man; they set forth clearly the rules of proper conduct and justice to reform him; they established laws and government to rule him; they made punishments severe to warn him; and so they caused the whole country to come to a state of good government and prosperity, and to accord with goodness. This is the government of the Sage-Kings, the reforming influence of the rules of proper conduct and justice.

Now suppose we try to remove the authority of the prince and be without the reforming influence of the rules of proper conduct and justice; suppose we try to remove the beneficent control of the laws and the government and be without the restraining influence of punishments. Let us stand and see how the people of the whole country would behave. If this were the situation, then the strong would injure the weak and rob him; the many would treat cruelly the few and tear them apart. The whole country would be in a state of rebellion and disorder. It would not take an instant to get into this condition. By this line of reasoning, it is evident that the nature of man is evil and that his goodness is acquired…