The Significance of Mencius Author(s): Carsun Chang Source: Philosophy East and West, Vol. 8, No. 1/2 (Apr.

- Jul., 1958), pp. 37-48 Published by: University of Hawai'i Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1397420 . Accessed: 23/09/2013 08:49
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CARSUN CHANG

TheSignificance ofMencius
successor who handeddownthe tradition of the Tao. In a certain sense, is a greater Mencius thanConfucius. While Confucius laidthe philosopher solidgroundwork forConfucianism, Menciusclearly defined theprinciples, their into a and more penetrated meanings profoundly, built morecomprehensive In the knownas the Confucius' death, system. periodfollowing were involved States," periodof the "Warring extensively, powerpolitics and theschools of thought There had a very wayof arguing. sophisticated was a great needfora philosopher he criticized likeMencius.Withcourage, the strategists, the diplomats, and the philosophers. Some of the fundamental whichMencius are as folprinciples gave to the laterphilosophers lows: to takeemperors that Yao and Shun as philosopher-kings; to assert human nature is good; to givepriority is thinkwhosefunction to themind, thesentiment of moralsupremacy. All these ing; and to nourish principles were accepted, and in the suchas developed, dynasties, practiced ensuing and and much moral to the Chinese who Sung Ming, gave strength people, at thosetimesunderwent Mencius exercised national Since disasters. great a powerful influence on many of lifefora long period of Chinese spheres he maywell be considered a greater thanConfucius. The time, philosopher extent towhich an application ofMencius' theories wasmadein philosophical and practical is ampleevidence weredeterminthathis theories problems in shapingChinesenationalcharacter and thought. The fact ing factors thata disciple's workexercised a greater thanthatof his master influence does not necessarily in a lesserlight.So it was withConput his master fucius and Mencius. It is interesting to note what JamesLegge, a Western and Sinologist translator of Chineseclassics, said aboutMencius: "The first twenty-three of his (Mencius']lifethussynchronized withthelasttwenty-three of years Plato's. Aristotle, and other Zeno, Epicurus, Demosthenes, greatmenof the West werealso his contemporaries. When we place Mencius among he can look them in theface. He does notneedto hidea diminished them, head."'
1JamesLegge, The Life and Works of Mencius (London: Triibner & Co., 1875), p. 16.

MENCIUS (372-289 B.C) is known in China as Confucius'

37

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who Mencius'teacher was. Formerly it to inquire Let us now proceed of Confucius, was held thatTz~i-ssu, the grandson was Mencius'teacher; to be incorrect. but thiswas laterfound Supposing Tzii-ssito havebeen whenhis father, he wouldhaveto have been112 bornin theyear Li, died, was born.If one supposes at theage old whenMencius thatMencius years founda good teacher, would have already been 132; of twenty Tzil-ssii eachother as master stoodbefore and disciple old. That they is,thus, years Ssui-ma Ch'ienwrote in his book,the Shih Chi, inconceivable. Therefore, withthedisciples This is supposed to be thatMenciusstudied of Tzfl-ssUi. Book there correct. In Mencius' is a short his sentence to referring discipleI have I couldnotbe a disciple of Confucius, ship. He said: "Although of those whom I apendeavoured to cultivate after the myself example with the that school Mencius was Another 2 acquainted preciated." proof ofTziT-ssi~ is found in a paragraph in Mencius' is nearly identical Book which witha paragraph of the ChungYung (The ProperMean) whichis attributed to Tzi-ssii Who Mencius' immediate reacher was is veryhardto ascertain. In any devotion to Confucius is clearly seen from his writings. He case,Mencius' said: "FromConfucius' and morehave rimeuntilnow a hundred years considered fromthepointof time,butverynearat passed. It is remote hand when considering the sage's residence. So far thereis no one to his doctrines. no one to do so?" Mencius was transmit Yea, is there really muchinspired he had another Confucius teacher, byConfucius. Although wastheteacher inhismind. Menciuswas considered the by Chao Ch'i as the man who transmitted to latergenerations. Chao Ch'i lived in the Han messageof Confucius commentator on the Book of Dynasty(A.D. 108-201) and was thefirst Mencius. Chao Ch'i said: "The sevenbookswe have comprise thewhole doctrine of Heavenand Earthand are examinations of topics of thousands of thingswhichexistin the universe."3 The term"Heaven and Earth"3 meansin ancient China"theuniverse." when is that, The fullsignificance one discusses the problem of humanlifeor ethics, one shouldgo to the that Westof modern fundamentals, is,theuniverse, or,in theterminology themetaphysical Chao Ch'i wenton to say ernphilosophy, background. thatMenciusdiscussed the subjects of Ien (benevolence),I (righteousofHeaven, ofman,thedecrees ness), Tao (reason),Ti (virtue),thenature
'Book of Mencms, Bk. IV, Part II, Chap. XXII. in James Legge, trans., The Four Books (Shanghai: The Chinese Book Company, n.d.), p. 261. 'Chao Chi, Mng-tsu-Ching-I, Book I (Shanghai: Chung-hua Book Company, 1936), p. 7.

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MENCIUS

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and happiness--and thandid his disciples morebrilliantly such as misery Ch'ou or Wan Chang. This last sentence thatMencius' Kung-sun implies Book was written of ethicsgoes to the by himself.Mencius'treatment fundamental of whether humannature is good or evil; he thus question offthis controversial touched question.BecauseMencius'Book coversa we wide must read and it in thelightof modern field, very interpret phiof and metaphysics. ethics, theory knowledge, including losophy, logic, Han Yii, who livedin theT'ang Dynasty (768-824) and who fought an influential at thattime, school of thought Buddhism, against religious theline of Chinese discussed succession as follows: "Yao (a sage apostolic transmitted theTao to Shun [another kingof antiquity] sage king]; Shun it to Yii, founder oftheHsia Dynasty. it to the transmitted Yii transmitted three transmitted kingsW&nand Wu and to theDuke of Chou. The latter it to Mencius.AfterMencius and the latter transmitted it to Confucius it was no longer Thisso-called transmission of theTao does transmitted."'4 that it was mean handed down from one to theother, not actually person lineof philosophical but thata traditional was followed conviction bythe in thedifferent scholars in new of into periods, spite developments coming to time.Thislinewas interrupted themaincurrent from time whenMencius died. No Confucian scholar after Mencius' deathcreated anyphilosophical thatcould be considered Confucianism. equal to the surviving system was thephilosopher, and dialectician who Mencius Undoubtedly logician, else. influence on later thinkers thananyone exercised greater U who builta system based upon Confucian follower Menciusis the first not in in one's own consciousness, of ideas. He sees reality the doctrine does for virtue, whichis necessary world. Knowledge, the phenomenal comes in what and one in but notconsist what tastes, touches, sees,hears, but not in the Platonic fromone's innermind. Menciusis an idealist, backto therealmof ideas. He a class-concept shouldbe traced sense---chat sees thattheideal worldis basedon what oughtto be, or whatis right. to whatoughtto be, the realm When each man does his duty according of Menciusis builtuponthe The wholesystem of ideas can be attained. andhistheory ofthefour function ofthinking virtues. in a fewwordsaboutChinese to thestudy, As a preliminary philosophy be may helpful. general
'This eulogy of Han Yai is to be found in his essay "Yuan Tao" ("Inquiry of Tao").

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As Chinese and wayofpresenting sentence ideas characters, construction, think are so different fromthoseof the Western world,some Europeans there are manyambiguous in Chinese There terms writings. philosophical there are also shiftings in the meanings of Western terms; philosophical is muchambiguity terms as well as in in Western Chinese. philosophical Yet theChinese Western to understand do notfindit difficult philosophy. and if one reads When one reallyapplies oneself to Chinese philosophy, or one can findthe specific the terms in theircontext, meaning carefully a of has been the there definite way interpretaThroughout ages, meanings. ton. Another is thatsomeChinese their ideasin aphorisms difficulty present and notin systematic Thisdifficulty, forWestern students of Chitreatises. of Western is directly nesephilosophy, attributable to thefactthatstudents works like those of Plato, Philosophyare accustomedto systematic Kant,and Hegel. Letme use a simpleanalogy to point nor outthatneither theambiguity the aphorisms a serious in Chinesephilosophy shouldconstitute difficulty witha few a Chinesecan drawa portrait forWesterners. In painting, a lively and manyWesterners findthatthesefewstrokes strokes, present a a If few sufficient a few strokes are for sencannot picture. why portrait, a of tences a idea? in Indeed, making comparative study present complete and Western Chinese I find similar fundamental some principles philosophy, which arethefoundation ofboth traditions. A. Starting who assigned Mencius is thefirst Confucian point:Thinking. to "thinking" the vital role of philosophizing. Confucius put "thinking" and "learning" is on the same level. He said: "Learning without thought mean labor lost,thought without is perilous."' Thesesentences learning sinceknowledge what is derived from and data and from that, experience has been discovered one learn in to should order others, by enlargeone's ownfield mind ofknowledge. from one's Butbymerely others, may learning be perplexed in one hand. and confused, as if there threads weretoo many his pupilsto think in a moreprofound Confucius also admonished wayin a system order to find Confucius or the fundamental principles. Modifying in a specific as thefunction of themind. Menciusemphasized way, thinking as thefuncMencius' on It is no exaggeration to saythat emphasis thinking as Descartes' tionof themindis as important dictum "Cogisoergosum,"
Bk. II, Chap. XV, in James 'Confucius, Analects, Legge,trans.,The Four Books (Shanghai:The Chinese BookCompany, n.d.), p. 748.

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MENCIUS

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whichis the starting Western it However, philosophy. pointof modern shouldbe pointed out that did notplaysuchan important rolein Mencius the East as Descartes did in theWest. Nevertheless, if one traces thephiof and that of Lu the of Wang Yang-ming losophy SungDynasty Chiu-yiian that Mencius' of theMingDynasty, butbe persuaded one cannot emphasis theidealism on "thinking" which is thepioneering eventually produced spirit of China. Mencius and seeingdo notthink, of hearing and are says: "The senses obscured with by (external)things.When one thingcomesinto contact as a matter the of courseit leads it away. To themind another, belongs ofthinking. viewofthings]; office itgets[theright Bythinking, byneglectand themind]are what it failsto do this.These [the senses ing to think, Heaven has givento us. Let a man first standfastin (the supremacy] of the nobler the of his and inferior not able be will constitution, part part to takeitfrom which makes thegreat him.It is simply man."' Mencius this said repeatedly thatthemind out of thinking, should the function and carry thatone should which are concerned to thesenses, with notrestrict oneself and tasting. He drewa line of demarcation the between seeing, hearing, senses and thinking. He maintained as theimpressions of theexternal that, which stimulate timeto timeand are interoursenses, from world, change theseimpressions cannotgive rise preteddifferently by different persons, to knowledge. the He warned can onlyleadone awayfrom thatthesenses view A view of of he comes out selfof right things. right things, held, conscious virtues to him,are benevolence, only. These virtues, according want to stress and I that"knowledge," righteousness, propriety, knowledge. as contained a is four virtue itis realized in Mencius' of because virtues, group forthesakeofthegood. It has nothing to do withthePlatonic idea of the class concept. Plato'sphilosophy of thegoodas thehighest idea However, its counterpart finds in Chinese whichholdsthat thesefour philosophy, virtues constitute thehighest good. to Mencius, is a self-reflection fortheattainment of According thinking self-conscious This maylead us to thinkthatMenciuscompletely virtues. This is not true. Menciusdid not excludesuch neglects logicalthinking. as definition items andclassification from hissystem. important This demarcation and between senses is nora feature thinking peculiar to Mencius.It is a necessary Plato also way whichleads to philosophy. made thisdistinction. The following from thePhaedoshows the quotation identical views heldbyMencius andtheGreek philosopher:
'Book of Mencius, Bk. VI, Pt. I, Chap.XV.2, ibid.,pp. 884-885.

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thebody, of knowledge?-is if What againshallwe sayof theactualacquirement a hinderer or a helper?I meanto say,havesight invited to sharein theenquiry, in them?Arethey as thepoetsarealways and hearing us,inactelling anytruth not, intoherself whenthemindis gathered curate witnesses? is best, ... And thought nor pain nor any nor sights sounds and noneof thesethings her-neither trouble andhas as little to do with as possible shetakesleaveof thebody, pieasure,-when ordesire, after true shehasno bodily sense butis aspiring it,when Certainly-7 being? Again, Plato says: to thepurest of them who goes to each withthemind And he attains knowledge in theactof thought sensetoor intruding or anyother alone,notintroducing sight with of themindin herownclearness searches reason, butwiththevery gether light of endless intothevery of each;... For thebody to us by is thesource trouble truth which of themererequirement overtake reason of food;and is liablealso to diseases and and impede after us in thesearch truebeing: it fills us fullof loves,and lusts, andin fact, takes andfancies ofall kinds, as mensay, and endless fears, away foolery, from ofthinking us thepower at all.

the us of whatMencius said of thesenses remind leadingone awayfrom viewof things? the similarity is so striking Indeed, right thatone cannot two and ratio, butnotice thattheideaofsensations constituting it. It seems in ancient China and Greece. Only was unknown sources of knowledge, or havesensations scientific of modern thedevelopment knowledge during as of another source been knowledge. impressions recognized and B. Logicalideas.Amongthe phenomena underman's observation whichare common, attributes are certain there differentiating examination, be discovered? attributes to eachof thekinds.How can these respectively, whereandexperiments, world in thephysical byobservation Theyarefound and phi,are foundby religious as ethicalprinciples teachers, prophets, must be arbitrarily cannot Ethical made,becausethey principles losophers. Since a a of the or be approved they by community by majority community. can agree. there mustbe a basisuponwhichmankind mustbe approved, or innatural in concepts, is embodied The agreement laws,conventions, to moralprinciples, cannot unanimous stitutions.With regard agreement be reachedas easily as is possiblein the case of principles guiding whenmost be indicated must ofan assent natural Yet somesort phenomena. thesamemoralprinciples. observe of themembers of a community social and natural Menciusnamesthesetwo kindsof laws underlying In modernterminology, and "principles." phenomena"righteousness"
'Phacdo in B. Jowect, The Works of Plato, Vol. II (London: Oxford University Press, 1924), pp. 203-204. SPhacdo, in ibid., Vol. II, p. 205.

Does not the last sentence, "...

takesaway fromus the power of thinking."

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MENCIUS

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means laws of moral obligation, and "principles"means "righteousness" laws governingphysicalobjects and social phenomena. Righteousness and are found,accordingto Mencius on the basis of commonapproval principles and commondisapproval.What do the words "approval and disapproval" mean? They do not mean merelyan act of approvingor disapproving. They in language, sciences,or institutions, are concretized which are the basis of human society. Specifically speaking,common approval is the means of arat riving concepts. In the followingremarksMencius constantly uses the term"kind." This showsthathe attachedgreatimportance to it: are thesamein kindare liketo one another;-why which should "Thusall things in regard to man,as if he werea solitary we doubt to this?The sageand exception samein kind. we arethe In accordance withthisthescholar sandals Lungsaid, "If a man makehempen size of without knowing [the people's]feet,[yet) I knowthathe will notmake becauseall men'sfeetare Sandalsare all like one another, [themlike) baskets." likeoneanother. mouths have thesamerelishes. and flavors;--all So with themouth Yi-ya(only) in his relishes.Supposethathis mouth beforeme whatmy mouth apprehended of other from differed forflavors relish that men,as is thecase withdogsor horses Yiarenotthesamein kindwithus,whyshouldall menbe found which following Yiitself after models the whole of the matter In relishes? their in tastes empire ya ofall menarelikeoneanother. mouths is,the ya;that of sounds, thewholeempire models And so also it is withtheear. In thematter themusic-master after itself is,theearsof all menare likeone another. K'uang;that is no manbutwould Andso also it is withtheeye. In thecase of Tsu Tu, there of the beauty -notrecognize who would thathe was beautiful. Anyone recognize havenoeyes. Tsu Tu must theirears I say,-Men's mouths Therefore agree in havingthe same relishes; the same the same sounds; theireyes agree in recognizing agree in enjoying What that which minds alonebe without their similarly they approve? beauty:--shall theprinciples It is,I say, ofwhich [ofournature), is it,then, similarly they approve? before me that The sagesonlyapprehended of righteousness. and thedetermination of our theprinciples men. Therefore of which alongwithother mymindapproves to mymind, of righteousness nature and thedeterminations justas [are] agreeable tomymouth." is agreeable andgrain-fed animals ofgrasstheflesh At first glance, thispassage may appear as a collectionof ratherobvious, remarks. But when one reads it carefullyas a studentof common-sense philosophy,one finds that it implies the logical theoriesof classification, and objectivereference.These should be analyzed and explained. definition, the world "class" for "kind." Legge's Let me begin with substituting
Bk. VI, Pt. I, Chap. VII, in Legge, op. cit.,pp. 865-868. 'Mencius,

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translation should be changed as follows: "Thus all thingswhich are in the same 'class' are like to one another."Mencius elsewhereuses the same word "class" in another context: of other he knowsto feeldissatisfied, is notlike those Whena man'sfinger people, he doesnotknowto feeldissatisfacbutif his mindbe notlikethatofother people, ofthings).10 ofthe relative tion.Thisis called-Ignorance [importance as a part of the body What Mencius meant by this is clear. The finger, is not the most important part of man, whereasthe mind, as the springof between classes-physical is the most important This distinction thinking, issue. to Mencius,an important and spiritual-is, according of Mencius'emphasison classification. The followingis anotherillustration

thephoenix as one of thebirds, theTaishan The unicorn as one of thequadrupeds, andseasamong andant-hills, therivers therain-pools, each themounds as one among ofthesameclassas therest ofmankind." to a class.So thesagesaremembers belongs In the paragraph quoted previously, regardingthe making of sandals as

themin themaking. confuse can be kindsof things laid byMencius on different theemphasis Indeed, was also thattheidea of a so-called Treeof Porphyry as an indication taken of man as one capableof perChina. Mencius'concept knownin ancient is closelyakinto thedefand of the ideas righteousness principles ceiving The Tree of animalin Western inition of man as a rational philosophy. to Eastand common indeed is basis of which is the philosophizing, Porphyry, theideas of on logic is lacking, a Chinesetext-book West. Even though also. scholars areusedbyChinese anddefinition classification, division, term, natural thecommon withkindor class, In connection of dividing practice thebasis and man furnishes animals, things, plants, objectsintoinanimate is formulated, on whicha definition for, obviously pergenusetdifferentiam of theTreeof Porphyry. is nothing buta by-product law. In the moral ofMencius' outwhatis thefoundation Letus nowfind and out thatmen'staste, hearing, quotation givenabove,Menciuspointed to the of desire.He thenturned withtheobjects sightare in agreement
question,"... shall theirmindsalone subject of mind,asking the rhetorical
"'lbid.,Bk. VI, Pt. I, Chap. XII.2, p. 880.

wear, while a basket is used forcarrying things. Their uses put theminto classes. So the makersknow what theirattributes diffEerent are, and do not

a basket, themeaning is obvious. The sandalis a kindoffootfrom different

be without thatwhichthey apsimilarly approve?"The words"similarly

The translation, this writer's own, appears to be clearer than

ulbid., Bk. II, Pt. I, Chap. II.28. Legge's (op. cit., p. 539).

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OF MENCIUS THE SIGNIFICANCE

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embracetwo processes:first, each individual makesa prove"obviously a groupof persons mentalact of approving, second, subjective give their common ofmenagreeis a moral themajority law, approval.Thatto which whichthemindgrasps or interprets In or a reality byits actof judgment. Mencius holdstheviewthata law ofmoralobligation ora law other words, is not a subjective of physical phenomena opinion;it is judgment agreed whena certain in a culideaprevails ofpeople. Indeed, uponbya majority assent.This common assent is common it can be assumed thatthere ture, law. is thefoundation of moraland natural Thus logicalideasplayedtheir rolein Mencius' It has been philosophy. thata logicalor an epistemological out thatit is a fallacy to assert pointed It is truethatno booklike is lackingin Chinesephilosophy. background in Aristotle's existed ancient China. Nonetheless, logical ideas Organon wereexistent. of the to the problem C. Menciu?'theory of mind. Mencius'approach writwhose was a teacher-philosopher Mo Tzil,and Lao Tzid, likeConfucus, thepersonality of his students in particular and maningsaimedat raising used ethicalstudies kind in general.Thus,he and the others to raisethe morallifeof the peopleof theirday. They also spokeon such issuesas hiscountry. The and howa kingor emperor to govern ought policy-making and for sake of the territorial againstgoverning expansion war argument theprinciple was thatrulers who adhered to suchpolicyfailedto observe demarcation the line of In Mencius' time of righteousness, or ethical values. and policyof the scientist, which is the function betweenfact-finding, to be can is the which work of the hardly expected statesman, shaping, haveexisted. at this is thatmanis a rational Mencius' being.He arrived starting point as inaniafter all objects conclusion amongnatural phenomena classifying or mate things, plants,animals,and men. The commoncharacteristics, he basedhisclassification are thatinanimate things differentiae, uponwhich animals arematerials no life;that move;that growbutcannot having plants are the that men and have moral but no only live,move, sense, knowledge; and wrong.Mencius between says right livingbeingswho can distinguish that mandiffers from animals onlybya smallmargin.This "smallmargin" can on this and moralsense. His emphasis meansthatman has knowledge
be seen in the followingquotation: cannot WhenI sayall menhavea mindwhich bear[tosee thesufferings of]others, see a child if mensuddenly nowadays, mymeaning maybe illustrated thus:--even a feeling ofalarm and willwithout aboutto fallintoa well,they experience exception of values, ratherthan from that of facts. He, mind is fromthe standpoint

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distress. willfeelso] noras a ground on which of the [They they maygainthefavor on which noras a ground willfind thepraise of their child's parents, they neighbors and of friends, norfrom a disliketo thereputation of [having beenunmoved by] sucha thing. Fromthiscase we mayperceive thatthefeeling of commiseration to is essential of shameand dislike... modesty thefeeling and complaisance is essential man,that to man, andthat thefeeling ofapproving anddisapproving to man. is essential Thisfeeling ofcommiseration is theprinciple ofbenevolence. The feeling ofshame anddislike is theprinciple Thefeeling ofmodesty andcomplaisance of righteousness. The feeling is theprinciple of propriety. anddisapproving ofapproving is theprincipleof knowledge. Men have thesefourprinciples have their fourlimbs.When men, just as they fourprinciples, these thatthey cannot[develop yetsayof themselves having them], withthemselves, and he who saysof his prince hat he cannoc theyplaythe thief withhis prince. [develop them], playsthe thief in themselves, Sinceall menhavethesefour let them knowto giveall principles and theissuewillbe likethatof a fire their and completion, which has development which to find to burn, or that of a spring, hasbegun havetheir vent.Letthem begun and they to love and protect all within thefour will suffice complete development, and they will not suffice fora man to seas. Let thembe deniedthatdevelopment, serve hisparents with.'2 If we follow the Chinese text literally, we will see that Mencius' presentationof the idea of man as a rationalbeing is written in stronglanguage. few sentencesof the above quotationcan be renderedinto Thus, the first he is not a man; Englishexactlyas: "Withoutthe feelingof commiseration, the feelwithoutthe feelingof shame and dislike,he is not a man; without a he is not without of of the man; feeling approvingand dising modesty, a man." is These sentences leave no doubt in the reader's he not approving, mind of what Mencius considersas a man's essential qualities qua man. form: different ElsewhereMencius repeatsthe same idea in a slightly to all men;so doesthat of shame and dislike; of commiseration The feeling belongs The and disapproving. and respect; and thatof approving and thatof reverence thatof shameand theprinciple of commiseration [implies of] benevolence; feeling of and respect, theprinciple of reverence that of righteousness; theprinciple dislike, Benevoland disapproving, of knowledge. theprinciple thatof approving propriety; without. are not infused intous from and knowledge ence,righteousness, propriety, want from withthem.[Anda different furnished We are certainly view] is simply them. Hence it is said: "Seekand youwillfind of reflection. Neglectand youwill to them;-someas muchagain in regard differ from one another lose them"-men and someto an incalculable timesas much, somefive as others, amount:-it is beout fully their cannot causethey powers.'3 [natural] carry These quotationsclearlyshow thatMenciusdoes not studyman as a biological or sociologicalbeing, but as a moral being.
Bk. II, Pt. I, Chap. VI.3-5, pp. 549-5$52. UIbid., Bk. VT,Pr. I, Chap. VT.7, pp. 861-862. Ulbid.,

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MENCIUS

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Tai Ch&n, a philologistand philosopher of the middle of the Manchu Dynasty,did not agree with Mencius' rigoristic way of looking at man as purelya rational being. In his studyof man, he included desires,emotions, and instincts.He gave emphasisto Mencius' words about men's taste,hearing, and sight,followedby the rhetorical questionin regardto the mind: the thesame relishes; theirearsagreein enjoying [Men's]mouths agreein having samesounds;their minds their the same beaury;--shall eyes agreein recognizing alonebe without thatwhich they similarly approve?'4 Tai Chin, in interpreting thisparagraph,maintainsthat Mencius places the mind on the same level as the senses. This, however,is not so if one reads Mencius' writingscarefully.We

shouldsee thatMencius of laid morestress or wrongness on the rightness an act,on whatoughtto be,or on theinvisible will or of spring motive. Thereis a great and Kant'sCategorical between histheory Impersimilarity what is on is in is In his insistence the will good right good. ative--what in thewill,he wasopposed that what is useful toutilitarianism, or thetheory is right, so as Mo TzUi advocated. He saw whatis good as beingin thewill, The he disregarded in theconsequences. whatis advantageous or profitable well-known fromMencius (cited above) about the observers quotation alarmand distress whenthey see a childaboutto fallintoa well is incontrovertible evidence that Mencius' emphasis is on the moral feelingwhich

into men'sactions.Why,then, does one save a childfrom falling prompts forwhatone the water? One does so becauseone has a naturalfeeling is also akinto what was as it is described, to do. Thismoralfeeling, ought today byA. C. Ewing."5 whence is the well-spring cerMencius further maintains thatconscience enablesone to distinguish the tainrulesor dictates and which of duty arise, from thewrong.He says: right is their beenacquired Theability, without bylearning having bymen possessed them without theexand the intuitive by knowledge possessed ability [liang-ndng],
ofthought intuitive is their ercise knowledge [liang-chibh. and whenthey are Children carried in the armsall know to love their parents, all knowto love their elderbrothers. grown [a little], they forelders is Filial affection is [theworking forparents Respect of] benevolence. There is no other reason Iforthesefeelings);working rthe of] righteousness. to all under heaven.'" they belong
ulbid.,Bk. VI, Pt. II, Chap. VIiS, p. 867.
'The Definition of the Good (New York: The Macmillan Co., 1947). 5Mencius, Bk. VII, Pt. I, Chap. XV.1-3, in Legge, op. cit., pp. 943-944.

and to what is held held by the Britishmoralists of the seventeenth century,

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MENCIUS

alone is sufficient or whetherknowlThe questionas to whetherintuition and are in order to rightand wrongis distinguish necessary edge experience in Chinesephilosophyas in Western philosophy. Philosophers controversial such as Chu Hsi and othershold thatthe dictatesof consciencealone are not and experienceand learning must supplement it. Wang Yangsufficient

and wrong.Wang says: of right terion

on theother believes that intuitive a crihand, knowledge provides ming,

in thesenseof Heavenly is whatis intelligent, reason." Liang-chih dear,anddistinct of an man or of a is thesame.Is whether sage, ordinary Limng-chih, thatis reflected in it can escapeit."' is as bright as a mirror. Nothing Liang-chih

in a letter to Lu Yiian-ching: Wangsays

exists it,youwill lose it. In always.If youdo nottakecareto preserve Liang-chih itself it is bright and clear,despiteignorance and blindness. If you do not know to keepit clean, it will become butthough it maythusbe clouded beciouded, enough fora longtime, it nonetheless and distinct.20 is essentially brilliant, limpid,

the West. A re-examination to of Mencius' theory maybe a contribution in the of ethical both the East and in the better understanding principles

Whether Mencius andWangareinagreement when ofliangthey speak is a problem. that themind is reason differs chih somewhat Wang's theory in nuance ofmeaning from Mencius' ofintuitive which theory knowledge, is possessed without theexercise ofthought. IfMencius' isto bymen theory mean that on right orwrong is a priori andimmediate without judgment it is different from on depending uponoutside knowledge, Wang'sstress reason. is a common intuitionism forMencius, Nevertheless, Lu background andWang all the intuitive and Chiu-yiian, They uphold Yang-ming. faculty no supplementary that is necessary in order to know maintain knowledge what to be,orwhat is right orwrong. ought Thisdiscussion between and theempiricists or utilithe intuitionists is notfound China.It continues nowin England tarians onlyin ancient where thetradition ofempiricism is deeply rooted. Suchis thecontroversy between andA. C. Ewing, Prichard theintuitionists, on theonehand, and the Thisillustrates that thefact such on theother. Moore, utilitarian, problemsareindeed andcommon to thephilosophy oftheEastand perennial

West.

'Wang Yang-ming, Ch'uan Hsi-lu ("CollectedWorks"), Ssu-pupei-yaoed. (Chung-hua:Chunghua BookCo., n.d.), Bk. II. p. 24. "Letter to Lu Yuan-ching." Bk. II, p. i, A"Ibid., "Ibid., Bk. II, p. 26. "Ibid., Bk. II, p. 17.

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