The Distinction between

Righteousness and Destiny in

the Thought of Mencius

1
Tian and Ming
The “Big Three” in Classical Confucianism
Destiny

Men and Tian

“At fifty, I knew the
Human Nature Tianming ( 天命 ).”

Is human nature
good?

An unfalsifiable Confucius (551-479BC)

theory
“…man may form a triad
Insights with (the Tian and earth)
…(Tian) and earth too
Intrinsic Worth
perform their functions
Discovery?
and all things serve (the
Creation? sage)…That is what it
Xunzi (313-238 BC) means to truly Mencius (372-289 BC)
Faith and Infinite understand (Tian).”
2
Tian and Ming
From Mencius Book 7A: 2,
Destiny
1. Nothing happens that is not due to Destiny;
Men and Tian 2. One accepts willingly only what is one’s Proper
Destiny;
Human Nature 3. Who understands the distinction between
Destiny and Proper Destiny does not stand under a
Is human nature
good?
wall on the verge of collapse;
4. He who dies after having done his best in
An unfalsifiable following the Dao dies according to his Proper
theory
Destiny;
Insights

Intrinsic Worth
Destiny

Discovery?
Creation?

Proper Destiny
Faith and Infinite

3
Tian and Ming
From Mencius Book 7A: 3,
Destiny
5. Seek and you will get it; let go and you will lose
Men and Tian it. If this is the case, then seeking is of help to
getting and what is sought is within yourself.
Human Nature

6. But if there is a proper way to seek it and

Is human nature
good?
whether you get it or not depends on Destiny,
then seeking is of no help to getting and what is
An unfalsifiable sought lies outside yourself.
theory

Insights
Destiny
Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation? Proper Destiny
– in our hand
Faith and Infinite

4
Tian and Ming
From Mencius Book 7A: 1,
Destiny
7. Whether he is going to die young or to live to a
Men and Tian ripe old age makes no difference to his
steadfastness of purpose. ( 殀壽不貳 )
Human Nature

8. It is through awaiting whatever is to befall him

Is human nature
good?
with a perfected character that he stands firm on
his proper Destiny. ( 修身以俟之，所以立命也 )
An unfalsifiable
theory

Insights
Destiny

Intrinsic Worth

In our hand -
Discovery?
Creation?
be a good person

Faith and Infinite

5
Tian and Ming

Destiny
“For a man to give full realization to
his (heart-mind) is for him to
Men and Tian
understand his own nature, and a
Human Nature
man who knows his own nature will
Is human nature know (the Tian). The retention of
good?
his (heart-mind) and the nurturing
An unfalsifiable
theory
of his nature are the means by
which he serves (the Tian)...”
Insights
Mencius Book 7A: 2
Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation? Recall: The steadfast purpose
Faith and Infinite

6
Tian and Ming

Destiny

Men and Tian • Moral feeling, e.g. sensitive

Heart-mind to the suffering of others
Human Nature

Is human nature
good?

• Characteristic of human
An unfalsifiable
theory
Human nature beings, e.g. benevolence

Insights
• Personal Tian but
Intrinsic Worth
Tian not a creator
Discovery?
Creation?

Faith and Infinite

7
Tian and Ming • Debate over the universality of
Destiny human nature:
– Gaozi said, “Human nature is like
Men and Tian
whirling water. Give it an outlet in the
Human Nature east and it will flow east…Human
nature does not show any preference
Is human nature
good? for either good or bad...”
An unfalsifiable
– Mencius said, “…but does it show the
theory same indifference to high and low?
Insights
Human nature is good just as water
seeks low ground…”
Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation?

Faith and Infinite

8
Tian and Ming

Destiny
• Debate over the content of
Men and Tian
human nature:
– Gaozi*: “That which is inborn
Human Nature
( 生 ) is what is meant by ‘nature’
Is human nature
good?
( 性 ).”
*For Gaozi, appetite for food and sex is nature.
An unfalsifiable
theory

Insights – Mencius: “…Is the nature of a

Intrinsic Worth
hound (a dog of a breed used for
hunting) the same as the nature
Discovery?
Creation? of an ox and the nature of an ox
Faith and Infinite
the same as the nature of man?”
9
 Human Nature is Good!?
Tian and Ming

Destiny

Men and Tian

• Gaozi on human nature:
Human Nature – Human nature is neutral
Is human nature
– Appetite for food and sex is nature
good?

An unfalsifiable
theory
• Xunzi on human nature:
– Human nature is evil
Insights
– Following (inborn) desires will lead
Intrinsic Worth to social disorder
Discovery?
Creation?

Faith and Infinite

10
Tian and Ming

Destiny
“My reason for saying that no man
is devoid of a heart sensitive to the
Men and Tian
suffering of others is this. Suppose a
Human Nature
man were, all of a sudden, to see a
Is human nature young child on the verge of falling
good?
into a well. He would certainly be
An unfalsifiable
theory
moved to compassion…”
Insights
Mencius Book 2A: 6
Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation?

Faith and Infinite

11
Tian and Ming

Destiny

Men and Tian

Human Nature

Is human nature Chinese toddler hit by two vans:

good? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECeC4R-Gjtc

Peter Singer’s TED: The why and how of effective altruism

An unfalsifiable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Diuv3XZQXyc
theory

Insights

Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation?
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2015/07/24/open-
verdict-over-10-year-olds-fatal-fall-as-vice-
Faith and Infinite
principals-statements-deemed-nonsense/
12
Tian and Ming

Destiny
Not reasoning but feeling:
“…not because he wanted to get in the
Men and Tian
good graces of the parents, nor because
Human Nature he wished to win the praise of his fellow
villagers or friends, nor yet because he
Is human nature
good? disliked the cry of the child. From this it
An unfalsifiable
can be seen that whoever is devoid of
theory the heart of compassion is not human…”
Insights Mencius Book 2A: 6
Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation?

Faith and Infinite

13
 “I will conceded that no interest
Tian and Ming drives me to it…” (Groundwork)

Destiny • Immediate reaction:

Men and Tian
– “Suppose a man were, all of a
sudden, to see a young child on the
Human Nature verge of falling into a well. He would
Is human nature
certainly be moved to compassion…”
good?

An unfalsifiable
theory – Case of newspaper vendor:
Insights

Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation?

Faith and Infinite

14
Tian and Ming

Destiny
• Understand human nature through
Men and Tian realizing the good heart-mind:
Human Nature
– “For a man to give full realization to his
(heart-mind) is for him to understand
Is human nature
good?
his own nature.”
– “…on one occasion does a man realize
An unfalsifiable
theory himself to the full…mourning for one’s
parents may be an exception.”
Insights
(Analects, Book XIX.17)
Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation?

Faith and Infinite

15
Tian and Ming

Destiny • Explanation of evil acts:

– “There was a time when the trees were
Men and Tian
luxuriant on the Ox Mountain, but as it one
Human Nature
the outskirts of a great metropolis, the trees
are constantly lopped by axes…People,
Is human nature seeing only its baldness, tend to think that
good? it never had trees. But can that possibly be
the nature of a mountain? Can what is in
An unfalsifiable
theory man be completely lacking in moral
inclinations? A man’s letting go of his true
Insights heart is like the case of the trees and the
axes.”
Intrinsic Worth

Discovery? Recall: “the retention of his (heart-mind) and

Creation?
the nurturing of his nature…”
Faith and Infinite

16
Tian and Ming
Mencius’s Doctrine of Human Nature
Destiny
Gaozi &
Men and Tian Xunzi
Empiric
Human Nature Advantage: al fact in
Common sense General a
Is human nature empiric special
good?
Disadvantage: al facts circumst
Time dependent
An unfalsifiable
ance
theory

Insights

Mencius
Intrinsic Worth Discove “Create
r ” Advantage:
Discovery? human human Unfalsifiable
Creation?
nature nature
Disadvantage:
Faith and Infinite Unfalsifiable
17
Tian and Ming

• Unfalsifiability:
Destiny
– Supported by empirical evidence,
Men and Tian
but cannot be denied by empirical
Human Nature
evidence.
– Death of Wang (18 passers-by vs. 1
Is human nature
good? rubbish scavenger):
• Explanation of “evil” act: afraid of
An unfalsifiable
theory
extortion
• Explanation of “good” act: Immediate
Insights reaction (i.e. “certainly be moved to
compassion, not because…”)
Intrinsic Worth
– Time independent  Long-lasting
Discovery? doctrine of human nature.
Creation?

Faith and Infinite

18
Tian and Ming

Destiny • Intrinsic value of human-

Men and Tian
beings:
Human Nature
Kant  Men are the authors of
moral laws
Is human nature
good? Mencius  Men can stand firm on
An unfalsifiable
their Proper Destiny
theory
“He who dies after having done his
Insights best in following the Dao dies according
Dignityto his Proper Destiny...”
Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation?

Faith and Infinite

being respected
should respect the dignity of others 19
 Righteousness and Destiny
Tian and Ming

Destiny

Men and Tian

• What is the purpose of life?
– “…Life is what I want; dutifulness is also what I want. If
Human Nature
I cannot have both, I would choose dutifulness rather
than life. On the one hand, though life is what I want,
Is human nature
good? there is something I want more than life. That is why I
do not cling to life at all costs…If there is nothing a man
An unfalsifiable
theory
wants more than life, then why should he have
scruples about any means, so long as it will serve to
Insights keep him alive?”
Mencius Book 6A: 10
Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation?
The Joker’s Social Experiment in
Faith and Infinite The Dark Knight (2008)
20
Tian and Ming

• What is the purpose of life?

Destiny
– “Yet there are ways of remaining
Men and Tian
alive and ways of avoiding death
Human Nature to which a man will not resort. In
other words, there are things a
Is human nature
good? man wants more than life and
An unfalsifiable
there are also things he loathes
theory
more than death. This is an
Insights attitude not confined to the moral
man but common to all men. The
moral man simply never loses it.”
Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation?
Mencius
Book 6A: 10
Faith and Infinite

21
 Uniqueness of Mankind
Tian and Ming

Destiny

Men and Tian

• Distinction between human and non-
Human Nature
human animals:
Kant –> “Rationality”;
Is human nature
good? Aristotle –> “Men are rational animals”;
An unfalsifiable Christianity –> “Soul”;
theory
Mencius –> “Human nature” / “Good
Insights nature”
• “Slight is the difference between man and
Intrinsic Worth
the brutes. The common man loses this
Discovery?
distinguishing feature, while the
Creation? gentleman retains it.” ( 人之所以異於禽於獸者幾希，
庶民去之，君子存之。 )
Faith and Infinite

22
An Alternative Insight of
Mencius’s Doctrine

23
Tian and Ming

Destiny
• Similar concepts in our ordinary
language:
Men and Tian
– Family affection
Human Nature – Love
Is human nature
– Friendship
good?

An unfalsifiable
theory

Insights

Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation?

Faith and Infinite

24
Tian and Ming

Destiny

Men and Tian

Human Nature
Nelson Mandela

Is human nature Emmeline Pankhurst Mahatma Gandhi Martin Luther King Jr.
good?

An unfalsifiable
theory
• For Mencius:
– “For a man to give full realization to his
Insights
(heart-mind) is for him to understand his
Intrinsic Worth
own nature, and a man who knows his own
nature will know (the Tian). The retention of
Discovery? his (heart-mind) and the nurturing of his
Creation?
nature are the means by which he serves
Faith and Infinite (the Tian)...”
25
 Two Doctrines of Human Nature
Tian and Ming

Destiny
Good person with What should we do? What can we
Men and Tian bad fortune? do?
Xunzi Accidents of Make use of nature Everything
Human Nature circumstance

Is human nature Mencius Because of Standing firm in the 1. Refuse to

good?
destiny righteousness accept the
destiny;
An unfalsifiable
theory
2. Create a
new world
Insights

Intrinsic Worth

Discovery?
Creation?

Faith and Infinite

Typical formula of “You’re not brave, man are brave." 26

adventurous Japanese comics