Direction (1 - 4) Read the following passage and answer the given questions

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow them.

Confucius inspired an entire school of Chinese thinkers. Probably the most illustrious thinker in his school was Mencius. Much like Confucius, Mencius traveled in different states for several years attempting to persuade rulers to adopt his philosophy with little success. He is best known for his argument that human nature is inherently good. He argues that humans are born with the capacity for distinguishing between right and wrong. Individuals may not know from childhood which acts are acceptable and which ones are not, but all children are capable of feeling shame, and once they learn which acts are good or bad, they have a natural tendency to approve of the former and disapprove of the latter.

His argument was aimed at countering the then-current theory that human nature consists only of evil appetites, but he also sought to reinvigorate the traditional idea subscribed to Confucius that morality was decreed by heaven. Mencius successfully broke down the rigid intellectual barrier between human tendencies and heavenly decrees. He argued that morality is as much a part of human nature as selfish appetites, and the biological drives are as much a part of heavenly decree or the natural world as morality is. Another of Mencius’ noteworthy arguments is his idea that the function of a ruler is to further the good of his subjects. If a ruler abuses his power, he is no longer acting as a ruler. Instead, he is just a “fellow,” and he has lost the mandate of heaven. The people then have the right to rebel against him. Many of Mencius’ ideas can be found in his “dialogue” concerning the transfer of rule from Yao to Shun

In many ways, Confucian philosophy is a middle-ground between the harsh doctrines of the Legalist school of philosophy and Taoism. Legalist philosophy adheres strictly to rules and custom, but it emphasizes punishment and discipline, and it lacks the Confucian emphasis on kindness and contemplation. Likewise, the Confucian emphasis on rational practicality and common sense is something that Taoism lacks.

On the other hand, Taoist philosophy is in many ways much more flexible than Confucianism. Taoist writers seek to avoid being “boxed” by rules, definitions and empty words. They encourage a sort of intuitive and nonlogical way of seeking balance in the world by resisting the desire to interfere with normal processes of nature. Taoism emphasizes wuwei-enlightened non-action rather than needless bustle and “busy-work” for its own sake. Legalism emphasizes wuyu-active attempts to modify human behaviour for the better by restraining the evil impulses of humanity in a rigid hierarchy of law. Confucianism, while not completely incompatible with either philosophy, suggests that thoughtful contemplation is necessary in making decisions rather than blindly following rules (the Legalist philosophy) or letting luck and intuition dominate human behaviour (the Taoist philosophy). Confucianism thus rejects the Taoist notion that virtue should be an almost-instinctive and unthinking reaction in the good man. While Confucianism shares the legalist desire to maintain tradition and behave according to appropriate ritual and precedent, Confucius rejects the rhetoric and imagery of violent conformity so often founded in Legalist documents.