摘要

This ancient text records the teachings of Mencius ancient China's ya sheng, or "second sage." A philosopher who worked in the fourth century B.C., Mencius studied with the grandson of Confucius and is credited with the development of orthodox Confucianism. The philosophical doctrine of Mencius concerns the inborn goodness of human nature. He taught that there are four principles innate in all people: sympathy, courtesy, shame, and knowing right from wrong. Mencius cultivated practical ideas on how to recover goodness in daily life and manage the economic and political conditions of the era. He was a champion of the people in a period marked by moral decay. Wishing to offer himself as a counselor, he wandered the Chinese states urging power-hungry leaders to consider the needs of their subjects. But he was labeled a radical, a dangerous challenge to those in power, and his doctrines were never put into practice. Divided into seven chapters, Mencius is composed largely of conversations between the great philosopher and the rulers he sought to guide. Sometimes mystical, sometimes poetic, these teachings are often unpredictable, with startling insights that bring the narrative to life. While this great work is ranked second in importance only to the Confucian Analects, it has not been translated into English in more than twenty-five years. David Hinton's Mencius reveals the literary vibrancy of this great philosopher and the earnestness behind his faith in humanity.

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