Mencius believed that human nature is good. He felt that humans were born with a sense of right and wrong, a sense of sympathy and a sense of propriety, (Li). .
Mencius was known as being one of the most famous followers of Confucius. The Confucian tradition believed Li is what bonds society together and that society and the individual were inseparable. .
Mencius believed the reason why there are differences in human moral behavior is due to the fact that all people begin the same but grow up differently. He uses as an example the growing of wheat seeds. When you sow seeds in the land, you water and nurture it, and when it has grown; you may find some wheat stalks different from one another. The reason why could be from the soil, which may be rich or poor, or the unequal amount of water from the rain and it could also be from the human effort used to take care of the wheat. The wheat is all the same but may be different to one another, just like men.
Mencius believed our good is similar to the wheat, our good has to be nourished and cultivated or it will be ruined. In order for your good not to decay, you need education, on how to continue to nourish your Li, which is important in order to cultivate your natural moral sense. .
Hsun Tzu also a noteworthy figure in the Confucian tradition believed in the education of Li, but he disagreed with Mencius point of view, that human nature is good.
Tzu believed human nature to be evil. He states that evil is born within us and that is why the wise rulers created Li, to teach us ritual principles, in order to control our evil emotions. He stated that without moral teachings there would be chaos and destruction. .
Tzu believed that if man did not have something, he would strive to acquire what he lacked. So, if man were evil he would long to be good. .
Tzu uses an example, a piece of wood that is warped, in order to make it straight you have to lay it against a straighten board and force it into shape.