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Mencius

Introduction

Mencius was a renowned Chinese philosopher debatably the most famous Confucian after the Confucius. He was born in the State of Zou in northeastern China. He was born in a period of Chinese history when many states were against each other to gain maximum power of China. Mencius (385-312 B.C.E), arguably the first successor to the great Confucius, he is famous for his Confucianism as a solution for rulers of his period. He is the second key figure in the early Confucian tradition. Mencius was a thinker born in Warring States period (479-221 B.C.E). This was a critical period for the Chinese history as they were facing some adverse circumstances. The most critical issue was the survival of ritual forms and moral attitudes. These issues were associated with the feudal lords. Mencius was a foremost representative of the Confucian tradition.

According to author, the main political problem Mencius wants to solve was the problem of China's unification. He was the primary interpreter of Confucianism. He advised to the rulers of China for reforms. Mencius was caught in grief on his mother's death, and expressed his filial devotion. He thinks that the ruler must consider religious ceremonies, moral limitations, and the welfare of his people. Mencius always raised the matters of governance, the self cultivation, moral psychology, and a war against violence.

Discussion

Mencius's Vision

Mencius spends his life for the betterment of the Nation. He is famous for his theory of human nature, according to which human beings share an intrinsic righteousness that either can be civilized through education and self-discipline or wasted through neglect and pessimistic influences, but never lost in total. At the same time as it is not clear that Mencius views prevailed in Chinese theoretical circles. Mencius promotes Confucianism as a solution for the rulers of his period. He explains the solutions in conversations with the rulers.

In Warring States period, the powerful feudal states captured the weaker ones. There were many armies ready to fight each other in battles. Uncertainty was increasing by leaps and bounds. In these circumstances, Mencius travelled between different feudal states, advising to rulers about governance issues, discussing the effects of this terrible warfare on the people. Mencius always talks about the government and the human nature. The Mencius is a collection of conversations between the rulers of the feudal states and Mencius. It comprises of statements by Mencius on a wide range of subjects, especially human nature and government.

Mencius' philosophical concerns

There are many philosophical concerns of Mencius, which he discussed during his life, from which some of them are stated below:

Humanness

Rightness

Ritual Propriety

Filial Piety (xiao)

Serving Parents

Well-field system

Government

Humanness (ren)

The author seems to suggest that Mencius spoke of the deaf and the blind, and about the terrible events that had happened to them. According to him “the natural goodness of humans had become perverted by the circumstances that they had raised”. He also says that “A person has the potential to become perfect.” We cannot discuss Confucianism without at least mentioning the man ...