Mencius believes that humans are just naturally good and are born as good people. He believes that all men are born with and maintain benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and knowledge. He also thinks that all men want to do good to others and do not want to witness suffering. Mencius holds a very positive view of human nature.
Xun Zi, on the other hand, believes that human nature is bad. He believes that all men are born evil and only care about what they want and how they are going to get it. He says that since all men will be striving to get what they want, there will be inevitable chaos and disorder. Xun Zi claims that good is a human product and can only be reached through the teaching of teachers and conformity to the culture. Xun Zi obviously holds a very pessimistic and cynical view of humanity.
If forced to choose between the two philosophies, I would have to side with Mencius, although both are seriously flawed. I would line up with Mencius, because I believe that all men are born good and that the capacity to be benevolent and righteous is a part of human nature. Unfortunate circumstances or occurrences cause a person to start to turn evil and do bad things, not merely because they are human, as Xun Zi claims. I also side with Mencius when he states that it is essential for men to sympathize with other humans and to feel distress for them.
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