Plain Mencius -- A Classic Reading of Traditional Culture

Author: Chen Honghai, Ran Wanli (translator and annotator)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-08-01
Features:
Mencius (c. 372–289 BC), a philosopher, statesman, and educator of 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 researched Confucian doctrine and later became the second great 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 followers to teach and write books. The Mencius is a compilation of the sayings of Mencius, an ancient Chinese thinker, and is known as the foundational text of traditional Chinese culture. It has not only influenced people’s thoughts for over two thousand years but has also been integrated into daily life. Stories like "Fishing Up in Trees" and "Helping Plants Grow Faster" are widely known, while famous maxims such as "You Can’t Have Both the Fish and the Bear’s Paws" and "Being Confused Yourself, Yet Expecting Others to Be Enlightened" originate from the Mencius. In the annotations and translations of this book, references were made to works such as Zhu Xi’s Collected Annotations on the Four Books, Zhao Ji’s Annotations, and Yang Bojun’s Translation and Annotations.