Exploring philosophical views on human nature: bridging east and west

• Main Author: Lum, Emma Zhi Yu
• Other Authors: Li Chenyang
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Arts and Humanities; Human Nature
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/174508
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

When it comes to the topic of human nature, there are a multitude of perspectives given by both Chinese and Western philosophers. Chinese philosophers contend that human nature can either be good, bad, neutral or a combination of good and bad. This contradicts John Locke, a Western philosopher’s view that individuals are born tabula rasa (with a blank slate), and that the experiences they undergo in life would shape their nature. This leads me to ponder if there is a universal definition of the concept of human nature that every philosopher can somewhat agree on. In this essay, I will attempt to establish my own definition of human nature by arguing that it is not a fixed single construct. Rather, human nature is an ever-becoming process that goes with the flow; it develops and alters as an individual grows and experiences new things throughout their life. In order for me to do so, I will be drawing reference to the Nature versus Nurture debate and use the insights of both Chinese and Western philosophers such as Mencius, Xunzi, Cheng Hao, Zhu Xi and John Locke. Their valuable insights will allow me to come up with a compelling argument to approach the topic of human nature.