Born in 372 BC, Mencius was a member of the family, one of Lu Sanhuan. He lost his father when he was a child and was brought up by his mother. He was smart and studious since childhood, and studied etiquette, culture and philosophy from many masters. Mencius, one of the representatives of Confucianism, had a far-reaching influence on China's philosophy, culture and political thought.
Mencius inherited and carried forward Confucius' thoughts and pushed Confucianism to a new height. He emphasized the goodness and moral cultivation of human nature and advocated the values of kindness, justice, honesty and responsibility. He also put forward famous theories such as "theory of good nature" and "theory of benevolent government", which made important contributions to the development of Confucian school. Mencius once served as a minister of Lu in politics, advocating benevolent governance and governing the country by virtue.
Introduction to the characteristics of Mencius:
1. Attach importance to human nature: Mencius believes that human nature is good, that is, everyone is born with good qualities. He emphasizes the self-improvement and growth of human nature, and thinks that by cultivating inner moral cultivation, people can become virtuous people.
2. Advocating benevolence: Mencius believes that benevolence is the most basic way of communication between people. He advocates that people should respect and care for each other and try their best to help others. Benevolence is considered as one of the cores of Confucianism.
3. Emphasize responsibility: Mencius believes that everyone has social responsibilities and obligations. He advocates that people should make contributions to society, pay attention to public interests and actively participate in social affairs. This sense of responsibility applies not only to individuals, but also to rulers.
4. Advocating education: Mencius attached great importance to the role of education and believed that education was the key to cultivating talents and social progress. He advocates extensive education, so that everyone can receive education and improve their knowledge and moral level.
5. Political view: Mencius believes that rulers should put people's interests first, implement benevolent policies and pay attention to people's livelihood. He advocated limiting monarchical power and balancing power, and put forward the people-oriented thought, that is, the people are the foundation of the country, and the rulers should respect the wishes and rights of the people.
6. Moral cultivation: Mencius believes that people's moral cultivation is the key to personal growth and social harmony. He advocated that people should improve their moral level and become virtuous people through introspection, self-cultivation and tempering their will.
Reference to the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Mencius