Mencius -- Basic Collection of Chinese Family Classics

Author: Wang Changze
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Publishing Date: 2003-03-01
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Mencius (c. 372–289 BC), a thinker, politician, and educator during the Warring States period. His name was Ke, and his courtesy name was Ziyu. He was from Zou (now Zoucheng, Shandong). Orphaned in childhood, he was raised by his mother. In his youth, he studied under Zisi, a disciple of Confucius's grandson. He diligently explored Confucianism and later became the second master of Confucianism, known as the "Second Sage." To promote his political ideas, he traveled to and persuaded the states of Qi, Song, Teng, and Wei, but was not accepted. In his sixties, he returned to his hometown, gathered people to teach, and wrote books. Mencius inherited Confucius's ideas but also developed them. He lived in an era where feudal lords fought senseless wars ("unnecessary wars") and witnessed the suffering of the people. Based on this, he developed the idea of people-centered governance, "the people are the most important," and "the ruler is the least important." Politically, he advocated implementing the "Kingly Way" and benevolent governance, opposing the "Ducal Way" and tyrannical rule. He advised rulers to value the people, stabilize them, collect fewer taxes, and reduce punishments so that the people would "not suffer from hunger or cold." These views reflected the people's desires and had certain progressive significance, but they were unrealistic for the time and ultimately unworkable. Mencius also advocated social division of labor, which aligns with the laws of social development, but he concluded that "the laboring mind governs, while the laboring body is governed," providing a theoretical basis for class exploitation and oppression. Mencius's philosophical thought belongs to subjective idealism, with his "theory of innate goodness" being the most representative. He believed that humans are born with a naturally good nature. He said, "The goodness of human nature is like water flowing downward. There is nothing in human nature that is not good, just as there is nothing in water that does not flow downward." He also stated, "Compassion is benevolence; shame is righteousness; respect is propriety; discernment is wisdom. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom are not given to me from the outside; I possess them naturally." There are reasonable elements in Mencius's theory of human nature. He particularly emphasized the influence of post-natal environment and education on people, as well as the role of self-cultivation. He believed that "living in leisure without education is close to beasts," and that "suffering brings hardship, while comfort leads to ruin." He urged people to reflect on themselves, "cultivate the majestic spirit," and achieve "dying for righteousness," "not being corrupted by wealth or poverty," and "not being moved by fame or disgrace." Mencius, a great thinker, politician, and educator in ancient China, lived during the mid-Warring States period. He was a successor and developer of Confucius's ideas and political doctrines, as well as a master and representative of the Confucian school after Confucius. Later, in 1083, Emperor Shenzong of Song enfeoffed him as the "Duke of Zou," and in 1331, Emperor Wenzong of Yuan further enfeoffed him as the "Sub-Sage of Zou." To this day, he is revered as the "Second Sage." In China, the stories of "Mengmu's Three Relocations" and "Mengmu Cutting the Weaving Frame" are widely known. This far-sighted mother truly did not waste her efforts, as her son Meng Ke eventually gained enduring fame in Chinese history and was known alongside Confucius as "Kong Meng." Mencius himself was revered as the "Second Sage." In this work, the author constructs a complete and vast system of Mencian thought. For thousands of years, countless scholars have meticulously analyzed this extensive philosophical system, either through annotations and chapter summaries or through methods like cross-references and personal insights, highlighting the values contained in Mencian thought. The book Mencius is the most direct and reliable material for studying Mencius's ideas. Since the Han Dynasty, scholars have continuously studied Mencius and written annotations on it, especially after the book was honored as a classic during Emperor Xining of Song's reign, the number of annotators increased significantly. Among the thousands of works on Mencius, three are particularly praised by scholars: Zhao Ji's Mengzi Zhangju (Annotations on Mencius) from the Eastern Han, Zhu Xi's Mengzi Jizhu (Collected Annotations on Mencius) from the Southern Song, and Jiao Xun's Mengzi Zhengyi (Corrective Explanations on Mencius) from the Qing Dynasty. Additionally, Sun Shuang's Mengzi Zhushu (Annotations and Explanations on Mencius) from the Song Dynasty and Song Xiangfeng's Supplementary Corrections to Zhao Ji's Annotations on Mencius from the Qing Dynasty are also influential annotated works. Below are brief introductions to each:
After its completion, Mencius was initially circulated as a work on the Hundred Schools of Thought. During the Qin Dynasty's suppression of scholars and burning of books, Mencius's followers suffered greatly, but Mencius itself remained miraculously preserved. Zhao Ji said, "After Mencius's death, the great way declined. By the time of the fallen Qin, they burned books and executed scholars, and Mencius's disciples were destroyed. His book was classified as a work on the Hundred Schools of Thought, so its texts were not completely lost." (Preface to Mencius)
During the Western Han Dynasty, the status of Mencius slightly improved. Emperor Wen of Han once established Mencius as a subject of study, appointing scholars as "Biographies Masters." Biographies were considered subordinate to classics, ranking between classics and works on the Hundred Schools of Thought in ancient texts. This shows that Mencius 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 five classics masters while abolishing biography masters. Mencius thus reverted to its status as a work on the Hundred Schools of Thought and remained unchanged throughout the Western Han Dynasty.
Since Mencius was largely circulated as a work on the Hundred Schools of Thought during the Han Dynasty, fewer people studied it compared to classics. The annotated works on Mencius recorded in Han Dynasty literature include Yang Xiong's Annotations on Mencius, Cheng Zeng's Annotations and Chapter Summaries on Mencius, Zheng Xuan's Annotations on Mencius, Gao You's Annotations and Chapter Summaries on Mencius, Liu Xi's Annotations on Mencius, and Zhao Ji's Annotations and Chapter Summaries on Mencius, totaling six works. To this day, except for Zhao Ji's Chapter Summaries, the others have been lost, and only fragments can be found in (collected lost texts) from the Qing Dynasty.
This book includes the complete text of Mencius, along with detailed annotations and easy-to-understand colloquial translations. It is rich in content and provides thorough annotations, effectively reflecting the original work's intellectual depth. This book helps readers better understand this ancient literary classic and plays a significant role in promoting traditional culture and fully utilizing the value of classical texts.