The Significance of Mencius

MENCIUS (372-289 B.C) is known in China as Confucius' successor who handed down the tradition of the Tao. In a certain sense, Mencius is a greater philosopher than Confucius. While Confucius laid the solid groundwork for Confucianism, Mencius clearly defined the principles, penetrated into their meanings more profoundly, and built a more comprehensive system. In the period following Confucius' death, known as the period of the Warring States, power politics were involved extensively, and the schools of thought had a very sophisticated way of arguing. There was a great need for a philosopher like Mencius. With courage, he criticized the strategists, the diplomats, and the philosophers. Some of the fundamental principles which Mencius gave to the later philosophers are as follows: to take emperors Yao and Shun as philosopher-kings; to assert that human nature is good; to give priority to the mind, whose function is thinking; and to nourish the sentiment of moral supremacy. All these principles were accepted, developed, and practiced in the ensuing dynasties, such as Sung and Ming, and gave much moral strength to the Chinese people, who at those times underwent great national disasters. Since Mencius exercised a powerful influence on many spheres of Chinese life for a long period of time, he may well be considered a greater philosopher than Confucius. The extent to which an application of Mencius' theories was made in philosophical and practical problems is ample evidence that his theories were determining factors in shaping Chinese national character and thought. The fact that a disciple's work exercised a greater influence than that of his master does not necessarily put his master in a lesser light. So it was with Confucius and Mencius.