Mencius
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- Born: 370 BCE
- Died: 290 BCE
- Chinese/Japanese: 孟子 (Mèng Zǐ / Moushi)
Mencius was a Chinese philosopher of the Warring States period, quite possibly the most famous historical Chinese philosopher after Confucius himself.
Drawing upon the teachings of Confucius, Mencius is most famous for his assertions of the inherent goodness of human nature, and of the moral will of Heaven. He proposed that education helped man uncover and cultivate that inherently good nature, and that the will of Heaven was for government to care for the people.
His teachings stand in contrast to those of his rough contemporary Xunxi, who supported the notion that human nature was inherently selfish and/or irrational, and that if left unchecked, human desires and emotions would lead to social conflict.
References
- Albert Craig, The Heritage of Chinese Civilization, Third Edition, Prentice Hall (2011), 18-19.