Abstract:
The theory of fostering the spirit of nobility, which was popular between the late days of the Spring-autumn Period and the middle of the Warring-kingdom Period, stressed the fostering of courage. Different views of fostering the spirit of nobility introduced respectively by Ti Diaokai, Zeng Zi and Zi Xia all drew upon Confucian view of righteousness and courage. Gao Zi thought that "the spirit of nobility" should be externally realized in training courage while Mencius believed that "cultivation of the spirit of nobility" should be carried out internally and be given priority to rather than the process of developing the noble spirit, which showed the opposition between noble courage and savage bravity. Since Gongsun Nizi, the theory of fostering the spirit of nobility started to be closely associated with the theory of human nature and showed concern with physical and mental integration with neutralization as its essential principle. Later Shishuo furthered the discussion by transforming the view of fostering the spirit of nobility to the theory of nourishing the nature, projecting the issue of nourishing a good nature or an evil nature.
