Fraud, murder, courage and strong will are all words that can be linked to humanity. These words will often raise questions such as who did it, how they did it, or why. Could it be that the real answer to these questions lies in better understanding our human nature? Does man act according to his divine plan or is he taught how to act? By analyzing the works of Hsün Tzu and Jean-Paul Sartre, I will determine which of these two philosophers offers the strongest foundation for living an ethical life in the modern era.HSÜN TZUHsün Tzu is a major founder of Eastern philosophy and is considered one of the three great sages of China together with Mencius and Confucius. Tzu's writing style is poetic and easy to understand. In his writings he constantly repeats his main ideas as if he were preaching. This is a style that we can also identify as being used by some of our politicians, teachers and clergymen, to name a few. Tzu also states that “(man's) goodness is the result of his activity” (198). This means that a man's actions are what determine the goodness of such a man's nature. Tzu explains, however, that in reality man apparently acts well but only because his acts of goodness arise from selfish reasons. According to Tzu, since man's nature is evil and his focus is on personal gain, man seeks the gain that comes from doing good. This idea continues to be discussed today. You can find people on both sides of this debate almost anywhere and everywhere. It is interesting to find out how his views on this topic originated so long ago. Tzu explains that for men to achieve goodness they must be taught the "Way" by the wise. The Way teaches men the path to righteousness and profit...... middle of paper ......tries to ask what might be the best solution that would be acceptable for other men to pursue, or whether not it helps him find an answer within himself, he can then ask for advice from someone he thinks is wiser, but without trying to blame him for any consequences or negative results. I firmly believe that people can find answers to even the most difficult questions in life if they research every possible outcome and patiently seek help. WORKS CITED Torres Gregory, Wanda and Donna Giancola. "Part 1: European Traditions." Global ethics. Eds. Steve Wainwright, Lee McCracken and Anna Lustig. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage learning, 2002. 142-147. Print.Torres Gregory, Wanda and Donna Giancola. "Part 2: Asian Traditions." Global ethics. Eds. Steve Wainwright, Lee McCracken and Anna Lustig. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage learning, 2002. 197-202. Press.