Li, or rites, played a vital role in the formation of early Chinese philosophy, although not all philosophers agree on its meaning or the reason for its application . Some will argue that human nature requires us to be ethical beings, while others believe that Li will teach us and mold us into beings who will follow the norms of our society. The three main Confucian philosophers who used Li's idea to shape their theories were Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi. All three of these philosophers used Li to model their ideal government, but it was Xunzi who would have the most applicable form of ideal government. Confucius was alive and teaching during the spring and autumn periods. King Zhou's power was in decline, and the rulers of the various kingdoms began to seek more power. Confucius sought to create a more stable and “good” way of governing the lands of ancient China. There, Confucius said, were the rituals that men practiced and followed to become gentlemen. Li was not a universal term, one man's Li would be different from another's depending on their social status and role in society. These actions could range from “gifts of jade and silk” (The Dialogs, 38), to “erring on the side of frugality than on the side of extravagance” (The Dialogs, 35). This makes Li very similar to the social norms we look at today. For example, a Li in our society would be a man holding a door open for a woman. Following and understanding these different rituals would create a healthy and stable society for people to live in. Confucius discovered that if one wants to build a healthy society, it is not just a few people in the ruling class who must follow these rituals. , but everyone in society...... middle of paper......nature. Li was a natural part of human beings, as Mencius states "Thus we see that no man is without a sense of compassion or a sense of shame" (Mencius, Pg.105). Xunzi saw things differently. Li was not an innate part of humans, but a set of observed actions that humans have the ability to learn and understand to build a society around. Xunzi has been compared to Thomas Hobbes on many occasions, while it is safe to compare Mencius to Jean -Jacques Rousseau. Xunzi found that due to the innate bad nature of human beings, a structured and just government must govern people by promoting righteous behavior not only with Li, but also with the law. Mencius and Confucius instead took Li's idea and gave it too much importance. If Li's adherence and understanding were all that was needed to keep a society under control, their system of wells and the precious model of the Wise King of Zhou would be useless if applied.