Research On Confucius' Human Nature Thought

Confucius' human nature thought has profound connotation and broad meaning. It interactively spreads out along double thinking lines of history and reality, the past and the present (narrating, not creating), heaven and human, nature and destiny (nature and Providence). The topic of Confucius' human nature is that nature is same, and practicing makes it different, which is based on Confucius' double understanding of history and reality, and is the theoretical fruit of narrating, not creating. It means Confucius' acknowledgement and approval of national stratum, moreover, it deeply expresses Confucius' position of backing to the ancients. Confucius vigorously emphasizes the significance of rites, and considers that studying and practicing the rites is the only way for being the man of humanity. In the sense of nature and Providence ,Confucius considers that humanity originates from Providence which exists unlimitedly and transcendentally, and that human life has inner potentiality by which man can transcend himself in the sense of life itself and promote the inner essence of life, and that man can exercise human nature and know the God's will. Nature and destiny, Providence and humanity being organically unitary, Confucius points out that man can exercise human nature, know the God's will and conform to nature by the studying way of "studying basically and reaching highly", and that teaching with no words is the ideal state. Analsizing Confucius' human nature thought in the perspective of Mentis' and xunzi's theories of human nature, we think that through the explanation and theoretical demonstration of Doctrine of the Mean and Mentis, it is gradually and ideally magnified. Mentis' theory that human nature is good is the narrow, unilateral and ideal understanding and explanation of the theme that the nature is same. Specially, a series of Mentis' methods for cultivating moral character of which sincerity is the core denies the practising significance of "studying basically and reaching highly" and puts the human nature under the God's will, whichimperceptibly stresses the superior position of heaven, and distorts and deviates from the Confucius human nature thought. In many aspects, xunzi's theory of human nature adheres to Confucius human nature thought. Based on the materialistic outlook on Providence and humanity, xunzi criticizes Mentis' outlook that morality is innate. In the perspective of the outside subjective environment and the inner objective effort, xunzi demonstrates the variability of the human nature and its ways, which has more real content and positive factors, and undoubtedly deepens and develops Confucius' human nature thought.Speaking extensively, we think that the special originating way of the ancient civilization of China fundamentally restricts the history process and features of emergence and development of the ancient thought of China. In this macro ?perspective, Confucius' human nature thought should be researched. Confucius' human nature thought which is the inevitable outcome of his outlook on history that is narrating, not creating, reflects the organic unity of history and reality, particularity and generality, unity and openers.