Xing, nature, is what is given at birth. Mencius held that it is good and needs only cultivation; Xunzi that it is selfish and must be reshaped by ritual and learning. The Neo-Confucians identified nature with principle, and Chan Buddhists spoke of seeing one’s nature.
Nature: human nature, debated by Mencius, who thought it good, and Xunzi, who thought it bad.
Also: hsing, human nature