1, both the theory of good nature and the theory of evil nature are based on the Confucian "benevolence".

Both Mencius and Xunzi believe that there is no difference in human nature. Both Mencius and Xunzi believe that human nature can be changed the day after tomorrow.

3. Through the practical principles of "seeking" and "learning", there is no essential difference between the theory of good nature and the theory of evil nature, thus achieving the Confucian ideal of "benevolent governance".

Second, the difference between them.

1, with different background.

Mencius lived in the middle of the Warring States period, when the social atmosphere was very poor. Mencius wanted to change this situation, so he put forward the theory of good nature. Xunzi lived at the end of the Warring States period, and the trend of Qin reunification was unstoppable, with hundreds of thousands of people attacking each time. In order to make people do good, he put forward the theory of evil nature.

2. The root causes are different.

Mencius believes that the root of human goodness comes not from acquired knowledge, but from transcendental knowledge and ability of goodness. The root of Xunzi's evil human nature lies in human instinct. This instinct is not learned by learning, nor is it artificially driven. People are born with eyes and ears and good taste.

3. The definition of sex is different.

From the very beginning, Meng Xun divided the concept of sex into two opposing value orientations: inner saints and outer kings. "Mencius said that human nature is good, and Xunzi said that human nature is evil, which means that life is not rude in instinctive behavior; In the definition of sex, Mencius was kind to people and life, believing that people could improve themselves. Xunzi, on the other hand, looks at people and life with a cold eye and does not believe that people can improve themselves. "

4. Different views on cultivation.

Mencius emphasized mind, while Xunzi emphasized instinctive desire. As a result, they have different views on the issue of self-cultivation. From the perspective of the theory of goodness of nature, Mencius must emphasize the inner cultivation of human beings, and he developed Confucius' theory of "benevolence for oneself". Xunzi, on the other hand, emphasized the evil of human nature and external etiquette norms, taking the route of Confucius' "meeting with courtesy", and "courtesy" became the backbone term of Xunzi's theory.

1, Mencius summarized moral norms into four categories, namely, benevolence, righteousness, courtesy and wisdom. At the same time, the human relations can be summarized into five types, namely, father and son, monarch and minister, husband and wife, orderly age and friends' trustworthiness. The starting point of Mencius' above theory is the theory of good nature. Concern is the goodness of human nature, not the goodness of human nature. But for Mencius' article description, he thinks that human nature is still good.

2. The theory of evil nature is one of the important theories of China's ancient theory of human nature, which holds that human nature has evil moral value. Xunzi advocated this theory at the end of the Warring States Period. The theory of evil human nature emphasizes the necessity of moral education, while the theory of good human nature emphasizes the consciousness of moral cultivation. Their opposites complement each other, which has a great influence on the theory of human nature in later generations.

(Source: Theory of Good Nature-Baidu Encyclopedia)