孟子
Mencius
Confucianism · personMencius is an early Confucian thinker whose received text develops claims about moral sprouts/tendencies that can grow through cultivation and discusses humane government and the moral limits of rulership.
鱼，我所欲也；熊掌，亦我所欲也。二者不可得兼，舍鱼而取熊掌者也。
— Mencius, Book 6, Part 1, Chapter 10 (Mengzi)
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What Are the Key Facts About Mencius?
- Tradition: Confucianism
- Chinese: 孟子
- Category: Person
- Definition: Mencius is an early Confucian thinker whose received text develops claims about moral sprouts/tendencies that can grow through cultivation and discusses humane government and the moral limits of rulership.
What Concepts Are Related to Mencius?
Confucius 孔子What Other Guides Cover Confucianism?
Frequently Asked Questions About Mencius
Did Mencius study directly under Zisi?
Later tradition associates Mencius with Zisi's intellectual lineage, but a direct student relationship should not be presented as settled historical biography.
What did Mencius say about a tyrannical ruler?
In a discussion of a ruler who destroys ren and yi, Mencius denies that the person should retain the full moral status of a ruler. Later interpreters used the passage in debates about legitimate rule, but it does not formulate a general modern right-of-revolution doctrine.
Why is Mencius called the Second Sage?
Second Sage is a later Confucian honorific that records Mencius's elevated position in the tradition. It is a reception-history label, not a title Mencius used for himself.
Sources and Limits
- Chinese Text Project — MenciusReceived dialogues and arguments
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — MenciusHuman nature, humane government, and reception