The Chinese philosopher Hsün-tzu (ca. 312-ca. 235 BC) is one of the important early Confucian philosophers. He is famous for his theory that human nature is basically evil.

Hsün-tzu, or Hsün K'uang, is frequently referred to as Hsün Ch'ing. Almost the only information about his life comes from a short biography written by the historian Ssu-ma Ch'ien in the Records of the Historian. It mentions that Hsün-tzu was a native of Chao, a state in modern western Hopei and northern Shansi provinces in north-central China.

The first mention of Hsün-tzu is when, at the age of 50, he arrived in Ch'i, a state in modern Shantung Province. Ch'i by this time had become one of the major centers of learning in China. The ruling family of Ch'i, which had usurped the throne in 386 B.C., was interested in...