孟子 Mencius
孟子 Mencius
孟子 Mencius, also translated as Meng Zi, (c. 372-c. 289 BC) was a Confucian philosopher regarded by many as second only to Confucius himself. Mencius also refers to the book of the same name. Mencius was born in 邹国 the state of Zou, located in present day Shandong province.
Mencius was a pupil of Confucius' grandson, 子思 Zi Si. He travelled throughout China and served as an official in the state of Qi. Mencius stressed the importance of the common people and a benevolent government. In this respect, Confusianism (儒家) was diametrically opposed to Legalist thought (法家).
The English text below is based on "The Works of Mencius" by James Legge [LEG1], which is available in a bilingual version online at [MENC].
施仁政 Benevolent Government
梁惠王曰，晋国，天下莫强焉，叟之所知也。及寡人之身，东败于齐，长子死焉。西丧地于秦七百里。南辱于楚。寡人耻之，比死者一洒之，如之何则可。孟子对曰，地方百里而可以王。王如施仁政于民，省刑罚，薄税敛，深耕易耨。壮者以暇日修其孝悌忠信，入以事其父兄，出以事长上，可使制梃以挞秦楚之坚甲利兵矣。彼夺其民时，使不得耕耨以养其父母，父母冻饿，兄弟妻子离散。彼陷溺其民，王往而征，之，夫谁与王敌。故曰，仁者无敌。王请勿疑
King Hui of Liang said, “There was not in the nation a stronger State than Jin, as you, venerable Sir, know. However, after it descended to me, on the east we have been defeated by Qi, where my eldest son perished. On the west we have lost seven hundred li of territory to Qin. On the south we have sustained disgrace at the hands of Chu. I have brought shame on my departed predecessors and wish to wipe that away once for all. What course is to be pursued to accomplish this?”
Mencius replied, “With a territory which is only a hundred li square, it is still possible to attain royal dignity. If the king will indeed implement a benevolent government for the people, being sparing in the use of punishments and fines, and making the taxes and levies light, so causing that the fields shall be ploughed deep, and the weeding of them be carefully attended to. Thus the strong-bodied, during their days of leisure, will cultivate their filial piety, fraternal respectfulness, sincerity, and truthfulness, serving thereby, at home, their fathers and elder brothers, and, abroad, their elders and superiors, you will then have a people who can be employed, with sticks which they have prepared, to oppose the strong armor and sharp weapons of the troops of Qin and Chu. The rulers of those States rob their people of their time, so that they cannot plough and weed their fields, in order to support their parents. Their parents suffer from cold and hunger. Brothers, wives, and children are separated and scattered abroad. Those rulers, as it were, drive their people into pit-falls, or drown them. Your Majesty will go to punish them. In such a case, who will oppose your Majesty? In accordance with this is the saying, 'The benevolent has no enemy.' I beg your Majesty not to doubt what I say.”
This text is from 梁惠王上 King Hui of Liang Part I. The king is “of Liang” because the capital city of the state of Wei was 大梁 Da Liang.
熊掌 Bear Claws
孟子曰，鱼，我所欲也。熊掌，亦我所欲也。二者不可得兼，舍鱼而取熊掌者也。生亦我所欲也。义，亦我所欲也。二者不可得兼，舍生而取义者也。生亦我所欲，所欲有什于生者，故不为苟得也。死亦我所恶，所恶有什于死者，故患有所不辟也。如使人之所欲莫什于生，则凡可以得生者，何不用也。使人之所恶莫什于死者，则凡可以辟患者，何不为也。由是则生而有不用也，由是则可以辟患而有不为也。是故所欲有什于生者，所恶有什于死者，非独贤者有是心也，人皆有之，贤者能勿丧耳。
一箪食，一豆羹，得之则生，弗得则死。嘑尔而与之，行道之人弗受。蹴尔而与之，乞人不屑也。万锺则不辨礼义而受之，万锺于我何加焉。为宫室之美，妻妾之奉，所识穷乏者得我与。乡为身死而不受，今为宫室之美为之乡为身死而不受，今为妻妾之奉为之，乡为身死而不受，今为所识穷乏者得而为之，是亦不可以已乎。此之谓失其本心。
Mencius said, “I like fish. I also like bear claws. If I cannot have the two together, I will let the fish go, and take the bear's paws. I also like life. I also like right action. If I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go, and choose righteousness. I like life indeed, but there is that which I like more than life, and therefore, I will not seek to possess it by any improper ways. I dislike death indeed, but there is that which I dislike more than death, and therefore there are occasions when I will not avoid danger. If among the things which man likes there were nothing which he liked more than life, why should he not use every means by which he could preserve it? If among the things which man dislikes there were nothing which he disliked more than death, why should he not do everything by which he could avoid danger? There are cases when men by a certain course might preserve life, and they do not employ it; when by certain things they might avoid danger, and they will not do them. Therefore, men have that which they like more than life, and that which they dislike more than death. They are not men of distinguished talents and virtue only who have this mental nature. All men have it; what belongs to such men is simply that they do not lose it.”
“Here are a small basket of rice and a platter of soup, and the case is one in which the getting them will preserve life, and the want of them will be death. If they are offered with an insulting voice, even a tramper will not accept them. If you first tread upon them, even a beggar will not stoop to take them. Yet a man will accept of ten thousand zhong, without any consideration of propriety or righteousness. How can the ten thousand zhong benefit him? When he takes them, is it not that he may obtain beautiful mansions, that he may secure the services of wives and concubines, or that the poor and needy of his acquaintance may be helped by him? In the former case the offered bounty was not received, though it would have saved from death, and now the compensation is taken for the sake of beautiful mansions. The bounty that would have preserved from death was not received, and the compensation is taken to get the service of wives and concubines. The bounty that would have saved from death was not received, and the compensation is taken that one's poor and needy acquaintance may be helped by him. Was it then not possible likewise to decline this? This is a case of what is called ‘Losing the proper nature of one's mind.’”
This text is from the section 告子上 Gaozi I. Ten thousand zhong refers to a very large income granted by their ruler.