Which Confucian thinker was the first to argue that human nature is inclined towards goodness as surely as water is inclined to flow downhill?

Mencius

Explanation:

Mencius was a Confucian scholar who was said to have been revered only second to Confucius himself. Mencius believed that human beings were born with good seeds in them that inclined them towards good.

In an argument with Gaozi who was another scholar, Mencius noted that human nature is inclined towards doing good much like water is inclined towards flowing downhill.

quote is the answer your looking for.

i believe the answer is: returns on investments, no wages

people who belong in upper class society would most likely get there by obtaining multiple source of income, which a certain percentage of ownership for businesses. since most of them are job creator, they would most likely get their money from profit, not wages.