Gaozi said, “What is inborn is called nature.”
Mencius asked, “Do you mean that ‘what is inborn is called nature’ in the same way that ‘what is white is called white’?”
Gaozi replied, “Yes.”
Mencius continued, “Then is the whiteness of a white feather like the whiteness of snow? And is the whiteness of snow like the whiteness of white jade?”
Gaozi replied, “Yes.”
Mencius posed the final question, “In that case, is the nature of a dog like the nature of an ox? And is the nature of an ox like the nature of a human?”
Note
Drawing on historical context and traditional commentaries, we can understand this logically rigorous exchange through the following dimensions:
- Gaozi’s “Biological Instincts”: Erasing the Essential Boundary Between Humans and Animals
Gaozi’s proposition that “what is inborn is called nature” is based on the core logic of reducing humans entirely to general biological creatures. In Gaozi’s view, physiological desires such as eating, mating, and seeking advantage are human nature. While this view touches upon human natural attributes, it completely erases the uniqueness of what makes humans human, equating humans with animals. - Mencius’ “Reductio ad Absurdum”: Using Logic to Attack Logic
Faced with Gaozi’s proposition, Mencius did not refute it directly but used a highly sophisticated “reductio ad absurdum.” He first followed Gaozi’s logic, using the attribute of “white” as an analogy: since the whiteness of a feather, snow, and jade is the same, then according to the logic of “what is inborn is called nature,” the natures of dogs, oxen, and humans must also be identical. When Gaozi answered “yes” out of logical inertia, Mencius immediately delivered the fatal blow: “Is the nature of a dog like the nature of an ox? And is the nature of an ox like the nature of a human?” Gaozi was trapped in a logical dead end, as common sense told him that the natures of humans and animals could absolutely not be the same. - Establishing the “Distinction Between Humans and Beasts”: Moral Attributes as the Essence of Humanity
Through this debate, Mencius established the highly important Confucian concept of the “distinction between humans and beasts”. Mencius believed that while humans and animals share physiological instincts (like eating and mating), this is merely “life”, not true human “nature”. What makes humans human is their possession of moral consciousness, such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. Through this, Mencius definitively drew the line between humans and animals, defending the sublimity and uniqueness of human morality.
告子曰：“生之谓性。”
孟子曰：“生之谓性也，犹白之谓白与？”曰：“然。”
“白羽之白也，犹白雪之白；白雪之白，犹白玉之白与？”曰：“然。”“然则犬之性，犹牛之性；牛之性，犹人之性与？”
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