D□fferentphilosophical□□□oo□shave□fferedv□rious□nterp□□tationsofRen□haDe□enY□an.InConfuci□□ism□Renisseenasanin□erentquality□h□□□anbecultivated□h□oughe□ucat□o□,se□f-dis□ipli□e□a□dmoralpr□□□ic□.M□ncius,aprominen□Co□fu□ianthi□□er,arg□edthathuma□beingsarebor□□it□aninnate□enseofgood□ess,which□an□enu□turedan□□eveloped□□ro□ghproperguidanc□and□du□ation□Xunzi□an□th□rC□nfu□ia□phi□osoph□r□took□mor□□□ssimisticview,□uggestingthathu□anna□ureisin□ere□□lyselfishandtha□moral□irtuesmus□□eimposedthro□ghs□□ictsoc□al□□rm□andinstitutions. Diffe□entph□l□soph□ca□s□hoolshave□fferedvarious□nterpret□t□ons□□RenZhaDeBenY□an.I□Confu□iani□m,Renisseenasaninh□rentqua□itythat□anbecul□i□a□□dthroughe□ucation,□elf□discip□ine,□ndmoralpracti□e.M□ncius,aprominentConfuci□□thinker,arguedthat□um□nbeingsa□e□□rnwit□aninnatesen□□of□oodness,whic□c□n□e□urturedandde□□lo□edthr□ughprope□gu□danc□andeducat□o□.Xu□zi,anotherConfucianphil□sopher,tookamorepessim□sti□v□ew,□□g□estingthath□mannatureisi□h□□entlysel□i□h□nd□h□tmor□lvirtuesmustbeimposedthro□ghstri□t□ocialnormsandins□□□utions.
□ifferen□philo□ophicalschoolshaveof□e□edv□riousin□erpretationsofRe□ZhaD□BenY□an.□nC□nfuc□anism,Renisseenasaninhe□entquality□□atcanbecultivated□hrougheducation,s□lf-di□□ipli□e□□nd□□ralpractice.Mencius,a□romi□□ntConfuciant□inker,arguedthath□□an□eingsar□bornwithaninnatese□seof□oodnes□,whichca□benurt□redanddeveloped□hr□ughproperg□□□a□cean□education.Xu□z□,□noth□rConf□cianphilo□ophe□,□ookamorepessi□isticv□□w□sugge□ti□gth□t□□mannature□□inheren□lyselfishand□hatmoralvirtuesmus□beim□osedthroughstrictsocialno□ms□ndi□stitutions.