Gaozi
Human nature is neither good nor bad: it takes the shape it is given, like willow or water.
Life
Chinese thinker of the Warring States period (4th century BCE), contemporary and opponent of Mencius. He is known mainly through the book of Mencius (6A), which records their debates. He holds that human nature is neither good nor bad: like water that flows east or west depending on the breach, it takes the shape that upbringing and circumstances give it.
Main works
The main witness to his views: nature as willow or as water, 'what is born with us is called nature'.
In his own words
« Gaozi said: 'Nature is like whirling water: open a breach to the east and it flows east, to the west and it flows west. That human nature makes no distinction between good and not good is like water making no distinction between east and west.' »
告子曰：「性，猶湍水也。決諸東方則東流，決諸西方則西流。人性之無分於善不善也，猶水之無分於東西也。」
« Gaozi said: 'Human nature is like the willow, and righteousness like cups and bowls. To make benevolence and righteousness out of human nature is like making cups and bowls out of the willow.' »
告子曰：「性，猶杞柳也；義，猶桮棬也。以人性為仁義，猶以杞柳為桮棬。」
Positions
click a row to see the evidenceHuman nature is like willow wood or whirling water: it is neither good nor bad, and takes the shape it is given.
Mencius, book 6A (as reported by Mencius, 4th c. BC)