4 ideas
Human nature inclines toward goodness the way water flows downward — given the right conditions, compassion, shame, courtesy, and moral judgment emerge naturally. When people act badly, it is the corrupting force of circumstance, not their original nature, just as water can be splashed uphill only by external force.
Every person possesses four 'beginnings' or seeds: the feeling of compassion (sprout of benevolence), the feeling of shame (righteousness), the feeling of deference (propriety), and the sense of right and wrong (wisdom). These exist as undeveloped potentials that must be cultivated and expanded, like a fire starting to burn or a spring starting to flow.
A ruler retains the Mandate of Heaven only by securing the people's material wellbeing and winning their hearts; when a ruler becomes a tyrant who robs and oppresses, he forfeits his title and may justly be removed. Killing such a deposed tyrant is not regicide because he has already ceased to be a true sovereign and become a mere 'fellow.'
Anyone who suddenly sees a child about to tumble into a well feels an immediate stab of alarm and compassion — not to gain favor with the parents, win a reputation, or because they dislike the child's cry. This spontaneous reaction proves that the impulse to compassion is innate to all humans rather than learned or self-interested.