Mencius (Basic Collection of Chinese Family Classics. Volume of the Hundred Schools of Thought)

Author: Wang Changze
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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 Confucian doctrine and later became the second master of Confucianism, known as the "Second Sage." To promote his political ideas, he traveled to states like Qi, Song,, and Wei, but was not accepted. In his sixties, he returned to his hometown, gathered followers to teach and write. Mencius inherited Confucian thought while also developing it. Living in an era where feudal lords fought "unjust wars," he witnessed the suffering of the people and recognized their power. 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 for "the Way of the King" and benevolent governance, opposing "the Way of the Hegemon" and tyrannical rule. He advised rulers to value the people, stabilize them, reduce taxes, and lighten 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 for social division of labor, which aligns with the laws of social development, but he concluded that "the mentally laborious govern the people, while the physically laborious are governed by others," 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 no person who is not good, just as there is no 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 inherently." There are rational elements in Mencius's theory of human nature. He particularly emphasized the influence of post-natal environment, education, and self-cultivation on people. He believed that "living in leisure without education is close to beasts," and that "suffering brings strength, while comfort leads to ruin." He urged people to reflect on themselves, "cultivate the spirit of magnanimity," and achieve "dying for righteousness," "not being corrupted by wealth or poverty," "not being moved by low status," and "not being subdued by power." Mencius was a great thinker, politician, and educator in ancient China. He lived during the mid-Warring States period. He inherited and developed Confucius's thought and political ideas, becoming 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 "Mencius's mother moving three times" and "Mencius's mother cutting the weaving" are well-known. This wise mother did not waste her efforts, as her son Mencius eventually gained enduring fame in Chinese history and was known alongside Confucius as "Kong Meng," with Mencius himself being honored 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 doctrine, either through annotations, chapter summaries, or other methods, 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 revered as a classic during Emperor Shenzong's Xining period in the Song Dynasty, the number of annotators increased significantly. Among the thousands of works on Mencius, three are particularly praised by scholars: Zhao Ji's Commentary on Mencius, Zhu Xi's Collected Annotations on Mencius, and Jiao Xun's Corrective Commentary on Mencius. Additionally, Sun Shuang's Annotations and Supplements to Zhao Ji's Commentary on Mencius and Song Xiangfeng's Supplementary Corrections to Zhao Ji's Annotations on Mencius are also influential annotations. Below, they are briefly introduced:
After its completion, Mencius was initially circulated as a book 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 and destroyed classics, executed Confucian scholars, and wiped out Mencius's followers. 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 it as a subject of study, appointing scholars as "Biography Scholars." Biographies were considered subordinate to classics, ranking between classics and works on the Hundred Schools of Thought. 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 "abandoning the Hundred Schools of Thought and promoting the Six Classics," establishing only five classics scholars while abolishing biography scholars. Mencius thus reverted to its status as a work on the Hundred Schools of Thought and remained unchanged throughout the Western Han.
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 recorded works on Mencius during the Western Han include Yang Xiong's Annotations on Mencius, Cheng Zeng's Commentary on Mencius, Zheng Xuan's Annotations on Mencius, Gao You's Commentary on Mencius, Liu Xi's Annotations on Mencius, and Zhao Ji's Commentary on Mencius, totaling six works. Today, except for Zhao Ji's Commentary, 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, reflecting the original work's ideological essence well. This book helps readers better understand and appreciate this ancient literary classic, contributing significantly to promoting traditional culture and fully utilizing the role of classical texts.