The Dynamic Generation of Human Nature as Seen from the Contradiction Between Good and Evil of "Basement People" ----Taking "Basement Notes" as an Example
Abstract
This article focuses on the phenomenon of the contradiction between good and evil of the "basement people" in "Basement Notes". Through a careful reading of the text, it is concluded that they not only regret their evil deeds but also actively choose to be mean, and they have both good intentions and deliberately suppress them. On this basis, by combining the viewpoints in Sartre's existentialism and comparing Mencius' theory of human nature being good with Xunzi's theory of human nature being evil, the causes of this contradiction are analyzed. The exploration in this article aims to deepen the understanding of the complexity of human nature presented in the work, and at the same time, discuss the differences shown by the theories of human nature in China and the West. Research has found that Dostoevsky, through the image of the "basement man", profoundly criticized the rationalist trend that prevailed in 19th-century Russia, revealing the spiritual predicament caused by reason's attempt to simplify human nature.
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