On Tung Chungshu's Theory Of Human Nature

Tung Chungshu's theory of human nature has a profound influence in the history of Chinese philosophy. His theory is related to the culture, politics and society circumstance of his time. His theory of human nature based on the nature of man who should be educated in order to be goodness. How does the basic stuff of goodness transform to the actual goodness is the core question that must be resolved. On one hand, Tung Chungshu thought that human nature has the basic stuff of goodness and must be educated to be good. On the other hand, the King, as the subject of moral instruction, has to educate men to be good follow the will of heaven in different ways. What Tung Chungshu's theory of human nature tries to resolve are the necessity and feasibility of moral instruction, it doesn't just discuss that human nature is good or evil; but it's also a theory of instruction. The aim of moral instruction is not that everyone becomes a sage, but to be a superior man. Tung Chungshu's theory of human nature is the important part of his political philosophy; he tries to construct an ideal social blueprint based on it. This thesis tries to give a preliminary analysis of Tung Chungshu's theory of human nature under the background of the history of human nature theory, and to probe Tung Chungshu's political philosophy at the standpoint of his theory of heaven.