Gaozi said, “Human nature is like the qi and liu trees; righteousness is like cups and bowls made from them. Making human nature into benevolence and righteousness is like making qi and liu trees into cups and bowls.”
Mencius replied, “Can you make cups and bowls by following the natural disposition of the qi and liu trees, or must you mutilate and destroy them first? If you must mutilate the trees to make cups and bowls, then must you also mutilate human nature to create benevolence and righteousness? Whoever leads the people of the world to ruin benevolence and righteousness must be the one who speaks such words as yours!”
Note
This passage from the Gaozi I chapter of the Mencius marks the beginning of the most famous debate on “human nature” between Mencius and Gaozi. Drawing on historical context and traditional commentaries, we can understand its philosophy through the following dimensions:
- Gaozi’s Naturalistic View of Human Nature: Morality as Artificial Processing
Gaozi’s metaphor of “nature as trees, righteousness as cups” fundamentally separates “human nature” from “morality (benevolence and righteousness).” In Gaozi’s view, human nature is neutral and neither good nor bad, while morality is the product of artificial processing. This perspective treats morality as a modification and restriction imposed upon natural human instincts, representing a primitive naturalistic view of human nature in the pre-Qin period. - The Cornerstone of Mencius’ “Innate Goodness”: Morality as the Natural Unfolding of Inner Nature
Mencius astutely seized upon the logical flaw in Gaozi’s metaphor: making cups requires mutilating the natural form of the trees. Mencius used this to counter-question: if benevolence and righteousness are built upon the distortion and suppression of human nature, then morality itself becomes a “ruin.” Through this, Mencius established his core assertion: benevolence and righteousness are not external shackles imposed upon people, but the natural growth and unfolding of the innate “seeds of goodness” within humans. True morality must be in harmony with human nature, not in violation of it. - “Leading the World to Ruin Benevolence and Righteousness”: A Severe Critique of Moral Nihilism
Mencius concluded with a severe condemnation: “Whoever leads the people of the world to ruin benevolence and righteousness must be the one who speaks such words as yours!” In Mencius’ view, Gaozi’s words were not merely an academic disagreement but carried immense political and social danger. If people believe that morality is a mutilation of human nature, they will subconsciously resent and reject it, ultimately leading to the collapse of the moral system. Through this debate, Mencius was not only defending the theory of innate goodness but also establishing the unshakeable internal legitimacy of Confucian ethics.
告子曰：“性，犹杞柳也；义，犹桮棬也。以人性为仁义，犹以杞柳为桮棬。”
孟子曰：“子能顺杞柳之性而以为桮棬乎？将戕贼杞柳而后以为桮棬也？如将戕贼杞柳而以为桮棬，则亦将戕贼人以为仁义与？率天下之人而祸仁义者，必子之言夫！”
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