Xunzi’s “Theory of Inherent Evil in Human Nature”: An Analysis of Human Nature in Early Chinese Confucianism

Abstract

As a synthesizer of pre-Qin Confucian thought, Xunzi’s "theory of innate human evil" breaks through the traditional Confucian framework of understanding human nature, constructing a dialectical view of humanity centered on "transforming nature through conscious exertion" (hua xing qi wei). Through textual analysis and comparative intellectual history, this paper systematically elucidates the theoretical core of Xunzi’s "theory of innate human evil": while human nature inherently tends toward self-interest and harm avoidance, ethical order can be reshaped through ritual-legal education (li fa jiao hua) and moral practice, thereby achieving the "distinction between innate nature and cultivated artifice" (xing wei zhi fen). The study argues that Xunzi, taking "innate evil" as his logical starting point, proposes a governance path integrating rites and laws. This approach not only provided an ideological solution for social integration during the late Warring States period but also expanded the practical dimensions of Confucianism through critical inheritance of the doctrines of Confucius and Mencius. His theory laid the foundation for ancient Chinese ethical systems, profoundly influencing the "outer governance" (wai wang) tradition and contemporary reflections on human nature.