An In-Depth Interpretation of Mengzi's 'Ox Mountain' Chapter: The Core of the Theory of Innate Goodness and the Cultivation of Heart-Mind

This article takes as its core text the 'Ox Mountain' chapter from the Gaozi section of the Mengzi, and draws upon a wide range of pre-Qin philosophical sources to analyze the argumentative structure for innate human goodness, the mechanisms by which external forces damage the heart-mind, and the philosophical foundations and cultivation methods of the theory of innate goodness.