Philosopher

Mencius

c. 372 – c. 289 BCE

Also known as Mengzi, Meng Ke

Known as the 'Second Sage' of Confucianism, he argued that human nature is good and that virtue grows from innate moral sprouts.

Painted half-length portrait of a bearded man in a white robe and dark cap — From an album of portraits of sages and worthies, Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), an imagined likeness. National Palace Museum, Taipei.Anonymous · Public domain · See the original

Mencius defended and developed Confucius’s teachings against rival schools. His best-known claim is that human nature is good: everyone has the “sprouts” of benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom, which need cultivating as a farmer tends crops. He also argued that a ruler who oppresses the people forfeits the right to rule.

His dates are traditional; the sources agree only that he lived in the fourth century BCE.

Tradition: Chinese
Region: State of Zou
Schools: Confucianism
Period: Classical Chinese
Influenced by: Confucius
Influenced: Zhu Xi

Key works

Mencius (Mengzi)

Sources

Bryan Van Norden, Mencius, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy