Work

Mencius

Mengzi

Mencius·Chinese

About this text

Seven books of conversations and arguments. Mencius travels from court to court, pressing rulers to govern with compassion and arguing that human nature tends toward good.

Suppose someone suddenly saw a child about to fall into a well. Everyone in such a situation would have a feeling of alarm and compassion. Not because they wanted to get in good with the child's parents, not because they wanted praise from their neighbors and friends, and not because they disliked the sound of the child's cries.

From this we can see that if you lack the feeling of compassion, you are not human. If you lack the feeling of shame, you are not human. If you lack the feeling of deference, you are not human. If you lack the feeling of right and wrong, you are not human.

Full text not yet available.