Known throughout East Asia as Mengzi, or "Master Meng," Mencius
(391-308 B.C.E.) was a Chinese philosopher of the late Zhou
dynasty, an instrumental figure in the spread of the Confucian
tradition, and a brilliant illuminator of its ideas. Mencius was
active during the Warring States Period (403-221 B.C.E.), in which
competing powers sought to control the declining Zhou empire. Like
Confucius, Mencius journeyed to one feudal court after another,
searching for a proper lord who could put his teachings into
practice. Only a leader who possessed the moral qualities of a true
king could unify China, Mencius believed, and in his defense of
Zhou rule and Confucian philosophy, he developed an innovative and
highly nuanced approach to understanding politics,
self-cultivation, and human nature, profoundly influencing the
course of Confucian thought and East Asian culture. Mencius is a
record of the philosopher's conversations with warring lords,
disciples, and adversaries of the Way, as well as a collection of
pronouncements on government, human nature, and a variety of other
philosophical and political subjects. Mencius is largely concerned
with the motivations of human actors and their capacity for mutual
respect. He builds on the Confucian idea of ren, or humaneness, and
places it alongside the complementary principle of yi, or
rightness, advancing a complex notion of what is right for certain
individuals as they perform distinct roles in specific situations.
Consequently, Mencius's impact was felt not only in the thought of
the intellectual and social elite but also in the value and belief
systems of all Chinese people.
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