Mencius (372-289 BC) died in twenty-six years and four years. He was born in Zoucheng City, Shandong Province, Han nationality. Name, word Yu Zi, word car, word viscount. My father is excited and my mother is Zou. China was a great thinker and educator in ancient times. One of the representatives of Confucianism in the Warring States period. He is the author of Mencius, which belongs to a collection of recorded prose. Mencius is a collection of Mencius' speeches written by Mencius and his disciples. It is a Confucian classic that records Mencius' language, political views and political actions. Mencius studied under Kong Ji (Confucius' grandson is usually a student who studied under Kong Ji), inherited and developed Confucius' thoughts, and became a Confucian master second only to Confucius, known as "the sage of Asia" and also known as "Confucius and Mencius" with Confucius. Mencius once imitated Confucius and led his disciples to lobby countries. But it was not accepted by all countries at that time. He retired and wrote books with his disciples. Mencius has been handed down from generation to generation in seven chapters: Liang Wanghui; "Gongsun Ugly" up and down; "Teng Wengong" up and down; Li Lou; "Zhang Wan" up and down; "Gao Zi" goes up and down; Heart and soul. His theoretical starting point is the theory of good nature, which puts forward "benevolent governance" and "kingly governance" and advocates rule by virtue. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu called Mencius, The Analects of Confucius, Daxue and The Doctrine of the Mean the Four Books. From then until the end of Qing Dynasty, "Four Books" had been a compulsory part of the imperial examination. Mencius' article is eloquent, magnificent and good at argumentation. Mencius' distant ancestor was Shi, an aristocrat of Lu, who moved from Lu to Zou. Mencius lost his father at the age of three, and Meng Mu raised him with great pains. Meng Mu has a tight grip on him. His stories, such as Meng Mu's Three Movements and Meng Mu's Broken Weave, have become timeless stories, which are models of maternal education in later generations.
The honor and disgrace behind it
Mencius is one of the most important representatives of Confucianism, but his position before the Song Dynasty was not very high. Since Han Yu wrote The Original Road in the mid-Tang Dynasty and listed Mencius as the only figure in pre-Qin Confucianism who inherited Confucian orthodoxy, there has been an "upgrading movement" of Mencius, and the status of Mencius and his works has gradually risen. Song Shenzong Xining four years (107 1), Mencius was included in the imperial examination for the first time. In the sixth year of Yuanfeng (1083), Mencius was officially named "Zou Guogong" for the first time, and he was allowed to enjoy the Confucius Temple the following year. Later, Mencius was promoted to a Confucian classic. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu combined Mencius with The Analects of Confucius, Daxue and The Doctrine of the Mean into four books, and their actual status was even higher than that of the Five Classics. From the Yuan Dynasty to the first year of Shun Dynasty (1330), Mencius was named "Asian Saint" and later called "Asian Saint", ranking second only to Confucius. In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang edited Mencius Festival, and deleted some chapters and sentences in Mencius, such as "People are the most important, the country is the second, and the monarch is the least important", "A thief is called a husband, and killing a gentleman is unheard of".
Mencius chronology
King Lie of Zhou died in AD 4 (372 BC).
Mencius was probably born at this time.
Zhou Xianwang 12 Wei Huiwang 13 Han Zhaohou Jiazi in the 6th year (357 BC).
Mencius was about fifteen years old and was a disciple of Zisi.
Zhou Xianwang 17 Qin Xiaogong 10 years ago (352 BC).
Mencius is about twenty years old and wants to divorce his wife.
Zhou Xianwang was ugly for 37 years (332 BC).
Mencius is in Zou, answering Zou Mugong's question.
In the thirty-eighth year of Zhou Xianwang, Gengyin year (33 BC1year).
Mencius lived in Pinglu.
Xin Mao was born in Zhou Xianwang in the thirty-ninth year (330 BC).
Mencius came to China and visited Renji.
Mencius was in Zou, answering with Wu Luzi and Cao.
Forty years in Zhou Xianwang and twenty-eight years in Renchen, Qi Weiwang (329 BC).
Mencius was about forty-three years old and came here for the first time.
Zi Chu, King of Qixiang, came to see Mencius.
4 1 year 29 Song Dynasty 1 year (328 BC).
Mencius and Gao Zi debate.
Mencius advised the King of Qi to remonstrate with him.
Mencius and Zhang Kuang made friends.
Mencius left Qi State for Song State.
In the forty-second year of Zhou Xianwang, Song spent the second year (327 BC).
Mencius to Song Dynasty
In forty-three, Song died in the late Yuan Dynasty (326 BC).
Mencius met Prince Tengguo in the Song Dynasty.
Mencius on the Lobbying Road and Gou Jian in Song Dynasty
44 years after Yuan Dynasty, 4 years after Song Dynasty, Qin Dynasty 13 years (325 BC).
Mencius left Song State and returned to Zou.
In forty-five years, Liang died in Ding You (324 BC) in 1 1 year.
Mencius was in Zou and sent a friend to ask about the funeral.
Zou Zhiteng's Mencius is benevolent.
Zhou Xianwang forty-six years, Wei Huiwang 12, Qi Weiwang thirty-four years, Wude (323 BC).
Mencius debated with farmer Chen Xiang.
Zhou Xianwang 47 years, Qi Weiwang 35 years, Wei Huiwang 13 years (322 BC).
Qi people become Xue, ask Mencius
1 year 15 years, 37 years, 320 BC.
Liang's "rich wealth and low gifts" calls for talented people.
Mencius was about fifty-two years old when he met Liang.
Mencius and Zhou Xiao's Theory of Being an Official
Shen Zhou 2 years yuan 16 1 year Renyin (3 19 BC).
Mencius and Gongsun Chou on A Short Mourning
Shen Zhou Liang Wang 3 years Wei Xiangwang 1 year Qi Xuanwang 2 years Guimao (3 18 BC).
Mencius was about fifty-four years old and saw King Liang Xiang.
Mencius met the King of Qi in Fan.
Mencius came to Qi and answered questions.
Mencius' theory of "forty without being tempted"
Shen Zhou Liang Wang 5 years Wang Yanwei 5 years Israel (3 16 BC)
Mencius went out to hang Teng Wengong.
Shen Zhou's 6th year14th land15th year (315th BC).
Lu wants to see Mencius.
Mencius returned to Qi to discuss with Yu Chong about burying his mother.
Qi Xuanwang asked Mencius to be strict.
Zhou Nanwang for 3 years, Qi Xuanwang for 8 years, Chu Huaiwang 17 years (3 12 years BC).
Yan people turned against Qi, saying, "I am ashamed of Mencius."
Mencius' theory of "I regard you as a coach"
Mencius and Chunyu Kun argued endlessly.
Mencius was about sixty years old and resigned from Qi.
Mencius met Song Shuo in Shiqiu.
Zhou Nanwang twenty-five years, xinmao years (290 BC).
Mencius was compiled at this time.
Zhou Nanwang Renshen reigned for twenty-six years (289 BC).
Meng Ziyue died at this time.
After the 75th generation, the order of generations is: Ling, De, Wei, Hangzhou, You, Qin, Shao, Nian, Xian, Yang, Jian, Dao, Dun, An, Ding, Mao, Xiu, Yi, Chang, Yu, Wen, Huan, Jing, Rui and Yong.
[Edit this paragraph] Mencius believes that
People-oriented thought
"The people are precious, the country is second, and the monarch is light." It means the people first, the country second, and the monarch last. Mencius believed that the monarch should take care of the people first, and politicians should protect the rights of the people. Mencius agreed that the monarch has no way and the people have the right to overthrow the regime. For this reason, Hanshu and Yiwenzhi only regard Mencius as a sub-book, without giving it its due status. In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms of Houshu, Meng Changjun, the master of Houshu, ordered people to carve stones in eleven classics such as Mencius, which may be the beginning of Mencius' being included in the classics. By the time of filial piety in the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu called Mencius, the Analects of Confucius, the University and the Doctrine of the Mean as the "Four Books" and became one of the "Thirteen Classics", and Mencius' position was pushed to the peak. Legend has it that Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was dissatisfied with Mencius' people-oriented thought and ordered people to abridge the relevant contents in Mencius.
Benevolent policy theory
Mencius inherited and developed Confucius' thought of ruling by virtue, and developed it into the theory of benevolent governance, which became the core of his political thought. He applied the principles of "pro" and "long" to politics, eased class contradictions and safeguarded the long-term interests of the feudal ruling class.
On the one hand, Mencius strictly distinguished the class status of the ruler and the ruled, and thought that "those who do things rule their people, and those who do things rule their people", and imitated the Zhou system to draw up a hierarchy from emperor to ruler; On the other hand, the relationship between the ruler and the ruled is compared to the relationship between parents and children, and it is advocated that the ruler should care about the sufferings of the people like parents, and the people should be close to and serve the ruler like parents.
Mencius believes that this is the most ideal politics, and the rulers can win the heartfelt support of the people if they implement benevolent policies; On the other hand, if people's lives are ignored, they will lose people's hearts, become solitary thieves and be overthrown by the people. The specific content of benevolent government is very extensive, including economy, politics, education and ways to unify the world, among which there is a clue of people-oriented thought. This thought developed from the idea of valuing the people over the gods in the Spring and Autumn Period.
Based on the experience of the Warring States period, Mencius summed up the laws governing the rise and fall of chaos in various countries and put forward a famous proposition rich in the essence of democracy: "The people are the most important, the country is the second, and the monarch is the light." People think that how to treat people is extremely important to the rise and fall of a country. Mencius attached great importance to the opposition between people's hearts, and repeatedly expounded through a large number of historical examples that this is a key issue related to winning or losing in the world. Mencius said: "Benevolence must go through first". The so-called "well boundary" means dividing and sorting out the field boundary and implementing the well field system. Mencius thought well.