Confucius,Mencius,and Xunzi were representatives of pre-Qin Confucian scholars.Confucius,founder of Confucianism,took ren(benevolence)as the core,yi(righteousness)and li(propriety and rituals)as the wings.These three concepts are complementary to one another,forming the framework of Confucianism.Mencius insisted that human nature is inherently good and on the equal importance of ren and yi,while Xunzi insisted that human nature is inherently evil and on the equal importance of ren and li.Both developed the doctrines of Confucius.ese three thinkers’thoughts laid the foundation for Confucian traditions,which had great impact on the evolution of traditional society and helped form the character of the Chinese nation.
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