Mencius summary

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Mencius , Chinese Mengzi or Meng-tzu orig. Meng K’o, (born c. 372—died c. 289 bc), Chinese philosopher. The book Mencius contains statements on innate human goodness, a topic warmly debated by followers of Confucius up to modern times. That the four principles (si duan)—the feelings of commiseration, shame, courtesy, and right and wrong—are all inborn in humans was a self-evident truth to Mencius; the four principles, when properly cultivated, will develop into the four cardinal virtues of ren (benevolence), righteousness, decorum, and wisdom. His development of orthodox Confucianism earned him the title “second sage.”

ren Summary

Ren, the foundational virtue of Confucianism. It characterizes the bearing and behaviour that a paradigmatic human being exhibits in order to promote a flourishing human community. The concept of ren reflects presuppositions that are characteristic of Confucian philosophical anthropology

Confucianism Summary

Confucianism, the way of life propagated by Confucius in the 6th–5th century bce and followed by the Chinese people for more than two millennia. Although transformed over time, it is still the substance of learning, the source of values, and the social code of the Chinese. Its influence has also