Week 4
Xunzi’s view of “bad human nature,” caught my attention when reading this week’s reading. According to Xunzi, people have impulsive and self-centered tendencies from birth, and if these naturally occurring traits aren’t controlled, they might cause chaos. He emphasizes the function of ritual and yi, as well as the need for moral instruction and societal norms to be imparted by educators, parents, and role models in order to foster virtue.
“So, it is necessary to await the transforming influence of teachers and models and the guidance of ritual and yi, and only then will they come to yielding and deference, turn to proper form and order, and end up becoming controlled.”
Xunzi promotes the creation of customs, regulations, and rituals as a means of controlling human nature and taming intrinsic greed. He claims that adhering to these external moral standards helps people get over their egotistical inclinations and supports the smooth functioning of society. Which I actually agree with. I believe that the way a person becomes is an outcome of their surroundings. But I do not believe a person can be born “bad”. In my head, I immediately think about a baby. How can a baby be of any harm without even knowing what it is yet? That’s where I agree with Xunzi’s view about shaping a person and having some sort of guidance.
I understand the influence of environment on behavior because of my own experience growing up with 3 sisters and 1 brother each raised in different surroundings. Where my sisters were born and raised amongst poverty and war in Nicaragua, and my brother and I were in a more fortunate American environment.
When I first met my sisters I was a little unsettled by some of their mannerisms. For instance, in my opinion, they were very mean to each other while me and my brother were very loving towards each other and easily got along. Up to that point I had never seen siblings be so mean or aggressive to each other.
As I noticed the early variations in my sister’s behaviors, I came to understand the possible impact of their surroundings. I realized this from a young age and immediately wanted to help them get along, by showing them compassion, respect, and understanding, my brother and I helped them to change for the better. Eventually, they developed these same characteristics. My sisters didn’t intend to be so cruel it is just all they saw and knew. This shows how people are influenced by their environment and that anybody may acquire virtues if they receive the right direction. This view is supported by Xunzi’s concept of self-cultivation, which holds that moral conduct may be adopted and one can overcome one’s innate tendencies.
