Mencius (Vol. 1 & 2)

Author: Zhao Ji (Eastern Han Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-06-01
Features: Mengzi, whose name was Ke, was a native of Zou in the Warring States period (now Zoucheng City, Shandong Province), born around 385 BC and died around 300 BC. Mengzi was a prominent thinker and educator during the Warring States period. He inherited and developed Confucius's thought, becoming the most authoritative representative of the Confucian school in the mid-Warring States period. In feudal society, Mengzi was revered as the second sage after Confucius, known as the "Sub-Sage." The book Mengzi is the most direct and reliable material for studying Mengzi's thought. Since the Han Dynasty, scholars have continuously studied Mengzi and commented on it, especially after the book was honored as a classic during Emperor Shenzong's Xining period in the Song Dynasty, the number of commentaries increased significantly. Among the thousands of works on Mengzi, three are particularly praised by scholars: Zhao Ji's Commentary on Mengzi, Zhu Xi's Collected Annotations on Mengzi, and Jiao Xun's Corrective Commentary on Mengzi. Additionally, Sun Shuang's Annotations and Explanations on Mengzi and Song Xiangfeng's Supplementary Corrections to Zhao Ji's Annotations on Mengzi are also influential commentaries. Below are brief introductions:
After its completion, Mengzi was initially circulated as a book of the Hundred Schools of Thought. During Qin Shi Huang's suppression of scholars and burning of books, the Confucians of Mengzi's faction also suffered greatly, but Mengzi itself remained miraculously preserved. Zhao Ji said, "After Mengzi's death, the great way declined. By the time of the fallen Qin, they burned and destroyed the classics,, and Mengzi's followers were exterminated. His book was classified as a work of the Hundred Schools of Thought, so its texts were not completely destroyed." (Preface to Mengzi)
During the Western Han Dynasty, the status of Mengzi slightly improved. Emperor Wen of Han once established Mengzi as an official text, appointing scholars as zhibi (transmission scholars). The zhibi were considered subordinate to the classics, ranking between the classics and the Hundred Schools of Thought in ancient texts. This shows that Mengzi held a higher status in the early Western Han than in the Qin Dynasty. After Emperor Wu of Han ascended the throne, he implemented the policy of "suppressing the Hundred Schools of Thought and promoting the Six Classics," establishing only the Five Classics scholars while abolishing the zhibi. As a result, Mengzi reverted to its status as a work of the Hundred Schools of Thought and remained unchanged throughout the Western Han Dynasty.
Since Mengzi was largely circulated as a work of the Hundred Schools of Thought during the Han Dynasty, fewer people studied it compared to the classics. The recorded works on Mengzi during the Han Dynasty include Yang Xiong's Annotations on Mengzi, Cheng Zeng's Commentary on Mengzi, Zheng Xuan's Annotations on Mengzi, Gao You's Commentary on Mengzi, Liu Xi's Annotations on Mengzi, and Zhao Ji's Commentary on Mengzi, totaling six works. Today, except for Zhao Ji's Commentary, the others have been lost, and only fragments can be found in Qing Dynasty compilations of lost texts. Zhao Ji's Commentary on Mengzi is the only surviving work of Han Dynasty scholarship on Mengzi and the earliest complete commentary on the book to survive to this day. Therefore, it is the only reliable source for studying Han Dynasty Mengzi studies and holds great historical value.
Zhao Ji (1082–101), styled Fenqing, was a native of Changling in Jingzhao Commandery during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. His original name was Jia, and he was also known as Taiqing, but he changed his name to avoid trouble. Zhao Ji had a conflict with Tang Huan, the brother of the eunuch Tang Heng, who was the Commandant of Jingzhao. In the first year of the Yanhui era, Tang Huan became the Governor of Jingzhao Commandery, making Zhao Ji his subject. Zhao Ji fled to avoid danger. Tang Huan indeed arrested Zhao Ji's family and relatives, condemned them to death, and executed them. After fleeing, Zhao Ji lived incognito and wandered far and wide. While selling pancakes in Beihai Commandery, he met a man named Sun Bingshi and became friends. Sun Bingshi hid Zhao Ji in his home behind a false wall. After Tang Huan's death, Zhao Ji returned to the capital to serve as an official. Legend has it that his Commentary on Mengzi was completed during his exile.
Ruan Yuan of the Qing Dynasty praised Commentary on Mengzi in his Preface to the Collation of the Thirteen Classics' Annotations and Explanations by saying, "Zhao Ji's learning, compared to Ma Rong, Zheng Xuan, Xu Shen, and Fu Qian, is somewhat outdated, but in terms of wording and explanation, it is free from errors. The subtle meanings and great principles of the seven chapters can be understood through this commentary." The General Outline of the Four Treasuries also commented, "Although his explanations are not as precise as those of later scholars, he opened up this field, allowing later scholars to delve deeper. His contributions are undeniable." Overall, these two reviews are largely accurate and fair.
The greatest strength of Zhao Ji's annotations lies in preserving many ancient meanings in terms of names and interpretations. His annotations are generally precise. This may be because Zhao Ji lived closer to the Warring States period and was more familiar with ancient idioms and phrases. Later scholars, living much later, were often unfamiliar with some ancient expressions, leading them to misunderstand the text by interpreting it literally. For example, in Liang Hui Wang I: "To stretch a branch for an elder, and say to others, 'I cannot,' is not because I cannot, but because I will not." The term "stretching a branch" in ancient times referred to actions like massage or scratching to relieve physical fatigue. Therefore, Zhao Ji explained, "Stretching a branch means massage, stretching the joints to relieve fatigue. Fatigue limbs are called 'paizi.'" Zhao Ji's annotation accurately explained the meaning of "stretching a branch." However, Lu Shanjing of the Tang Dynasty did not understand the ancient meaning of "stretching a branch" and interpreted it as "breaking branches of plants." On the surface, Lu's explanation seems simple, but it was actually a literal interpretation. Zhu Xi also failed to understand the meaning of "stretching a branch" and followed Lu Shanjing's error. Another example is Zhao You of the Qing Dynasty in Records of the Four Books, who said, "The Comprehensive Examination of Documents records Lu Yun explaining it as 'stretching the waist and branches, like bowing and bowing today.'" Interpreting "stretching a branch" as bowing is also a result of misunderstanding the ancient meaning. This shows that Zhao Ji's annotations made significant contributions to preserving ancient meanings.