But for Mencius, the source of man’s moral potential is internal, found in man’s nature itself; for Xunzi, it is to be found externally, in the culture, especially in the body of ritual created by the sages of antiquity. For Mencius, consequently, self-cultivation is largely a process of gentle nurturing, of keeping the growing inner goodness shielded from the harmful and corrupting influences of society; for Xunzi, the process is necessarily more expansive and aggressive, and looks directly to society for tools capable of “straightening” or reshaping man’s inborn twisted nature.
