Hsün Tzu and Jean-Paul Sartre Comparison of two Philosophers

Fraud, murder, courage, and strong will are all words that can be linked to humanity. These words will often raise questions like, who did it, how they did it, or why. Can it be that the true answer to these questions lies in getting a better understanding of our human nature? Does man act according to his divine plan, or is he taught how to act? In analyzing the works of Hsà ¼n Tzu and Jean-Paul Sartre, I will determine which of these two philosophers offers the strongest foundation for living an ethical life in the modern era. HSÃÅ"N TZU Hsà ¼n Tzu is one of the main founders of eastern philosophy and is considered one of the three great sages in China along with Mencius and Confucious. Tzu’s style of writing is poetic and easy to†¦show more content†¦Tzu argues that the sages created laws to correct man’s evil nature like those previously mentioned, and therefore the sages are valued and needed. According to Tzu man does not suffer any kind of anguish or pain from doing evil acts, in doing them they just fulfill their needs and feel pleasure. On the other hand, Sartre believes that man, â€Å"always chooses the good, and nothing can be good for us without being good for all† (145) otherwise, man suffers â€Å"anguish from direct responsibility to the other men to whom it involves† (146) choosing the opposite is like choosing evil. Therefore, man teaches himself to do good because his choices are equal to those choices acceptable for all mankind. I agree with Tzu, that people who have not learned the value of caring for others first without receiving any prize in return for their good actions could not feel any remorse in being selfish since that is all that they know. Like Neanderthals, it takes many years to evolve and many more years for learning to happen so that man may be able to act civilized. However, once one has learned to do good it depends on every man to continue to practice the teachings he has acquired and also to keep learning more than necessary to grow. Comparisons that they make using the word Artisan are also employed differently. Tzu uses the example of the potter and his clay, which the artisan turns to a vessel. Tzu states that, â€Å"the vessel then, is the