Mencius
Confucian philosopher of the fourth century BCE, said to have been born in the state of Zou; known for the claim that human nature is good, his teaching survives in the Mengzi, a collection of his dialogues, debates and sayings probably compiled by his disciples.
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What they believe
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If a ruler asks only what will profit his kingdom, high and low will seize profit from each other and the kingdom will be endangered
Superiors and inferiors will try to take the profit the one from the other, and the kingdom will be endangered.
gutenberg.orgSaid c. 400–301 BCEThis on korrents
The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These one: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.
Beliefs
Korrents What they believe 8 beliefs — each backed by an exact quote.
Each is a — compiled by korrents.com, not by them: the one-line wordings are korrents', the quotes are theirs.
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If a ruler asks only what will profit his kingdom, high and low will seize profit from each other and the kingdom will be endangered
Superiors and inferiors will try to take the profit the one from the other, and the kingdom will be endangered.
The Sayings of Mencius, as compiled by his disciples (tr. James Legge, in Chinese Literature, 1900) Said c. 400–301 BCE
Rulers who are wise and good take pleasure in their parks; those who are not cannot enjoy them
Being wise and good, they then have pleasure in these things. If they are not wise and good, though they have these things, they do not find pleasure.
The Sayings of Mencius, as compiled by his disciples (tr. James Legge, in Chinese Literature, 1900) Said c. 400–301 BCE
A ruler who lets people die of famine and blames the bad year is like a killer who blames the weapon
When men die, you say, 'It is not owing to me; it is owing to the year,' In what does this differ from stabbing a man and killing him, and then saying, 'It was not I; it was the weapon'?
The Sayings of Mencius, as compiled by his disciples (tr. James Legge, in Chinese Literature, 1900) Said c. 400–301 BCE
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A ruler who keeps fat horses while his people starve is leading beasts to devour men
In your stalls there are fat beasts; in your stables there are fat horses. But your people have the look of hunger, and in the fields there are those who have died of famine. This is leading on beasts to devour men.
The Sayings of Mencius, as compiled by his disciples (tr. James Legge, in Chinese Literature, 1900) Said c. 400–301 BCE
The realm can be united by a ruler who takes no pleasure in killing people
He who has no pleasure in killing men can so unite it.
The Sayings of Mencius, as compiled by his disciples (tr. James Legge, in Chinese Literature, 1900) Said c. 400–301 BCE
A king who fails to win the realm fails because he does not act, not because he is unable to
Therefore your Majesty's not attaining to the Royal sway is because you do not do it, and not because you are not able to do it.
The Sayings of Mencius, as compiled by his disciples (tr. James Legge, in Chinese Literature, 1900) Said c. 400–301 BCE
Only the educated keep a steady heart without a secure livelihood; ordinary people without one will not
They are only men of education, who, without a certain livelihood, are able to maintain a fixed heart. As to the people, if they have not a certain livelihood, they will be found not to have a fixed heart.
The Sayings of Mencius, as compiled by his disciples (tr. James Legge, in Chinese Literature, 1900) Said c. 400–301 BCE
Punishing people who fell into crime for want of a livelihood is entrapping them
When they have thus been involved in crime, to follow them up and punish them, is to entrap the people.
The Sayings of Mencius, as compiled by his disciples (tr. James Legge, in Chinese Literature, 1900) Said c. 400–301 BCE
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