Examining the Conflicting Views on Human Nature: Mancius vs. Xunzi Throughout human intellectual history, humanity has debated the question, “Are humans good by nature?” Do human beings do good only for self-centered motivations or is there an innate sense of internal morality? Today we face this problem more than ever. For example, if a lawyer argues that a killer's intentions to commit heinous crimes stem from the fact that he has a tendency towards natural incompetence, or if outside influences have transformed a naturally wealthy individual into a malicious killer. Mencius and Xunzi are among the most important Confucian scholars, but their divergent views on this philosophical conundrum set them apart. Mencius maintained an optimistic stance on humans, while Xunzi believed that humans were hostile by nature and in need of rigorous moral education and reform. Both scholars had a great impact on the interpretation of Confucian doctrines and the commitment to moral cultivation throughout Chinese history. This makes their unique positions on human nature particularly relevant when examining Chinese and human civilization as a whole. In this article I will argue that although contemporary philosophers in today's society are more likely to agree with much of Mencius's moral philosophy, Xunzi has a more realistic perspective on contemporary social ideologies. To accurately provide my argument I will use primary sources; Mencius: a new translation arranged and annotated for the general reader; and Xunzi: a translation and study of the complete works translated and arranged by WACH Dobson and John Knoblock respectively. I will also use a number of historical and contemporary secondary sources to assist and provide…half of the article…for the general reader. [Toronto]: University of Toronto Press. Xunzi and John Knoblock. 1988. Xunzi: translation and study of the complete works. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. Secondary sources: Adler, JA 2011 (April 14). Confucianism in China today. Online: http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Writings/Confucianism %20Today.pdf (August 22, 2011) Cua, A.S. 2005. Studies in human nature, ritual, and history in Xunzi and in Chinese philosophy. Washington, DC: Catholic University Press of America. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10267237.Handey, Jack. 2008. “How Things Are.” New Yorker 84, no. 3: 41. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed May 28, 2014). Mair, Victor H.; Steinhardt, Nancy S.; Goldin, Paul R., ed., Hawai'i Reader in Traditional Chinese Culture. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2005.