Mencius and Early Chinese Thought

by Shun, Kwong-Loi

• ISBN13: 9780804740173
• ISBN10: 0804740178
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-02-01
• Publisher: Stanford Univ Pr

Summary

Throughout much of Chinese history, Mencius (372-289 b.c.) was considered the greatest Confucian thinker after Confucius himself. Following the enshrinement of the Mencius (an edited compilation of his thought by disciples or disciples of disciples) as one of the Four Books by Sung neo-Confucianists, he was studied by all educated Chinese. This study begins a reassessment of Mencius by studying his ethical thinking (how one should live) in relation to that of other early Chinese thinkers, including Confucius, Mo Tzu, the Yangists, and Hsun Tzu. It is the first of three planned studies on Mencius: the second volume will examine the reception and development of Mencian ideas by later thinkers, and the third will be a general philosophical discussion of Confucian ethics.

Author Biography

Kwong-loi Shun is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations	xiii
Introduction	1	(13)
The Subject Matter	1	(4)
Some Methodological Issues	5	(9)
Background	14	(34)
From Pre-Confucian Thought to Confucius	14	(15)
The Mohist Challenge	29	(6)
Hsinga (Nature, Characteristic Tendencies) and Yangist Thought	35	(13)
The Ethical Ideal	48	(36)
Jena (Benevolence, Humaneness) and lia (Rites, Observance of Rites)	49	(7)
Yia (Propriety, Righteousness)	56	(10)
Chihb (Wisdom)	66	(6)
The Unmoved Heart/Mind (pu tung hsina)	72	(5)
Attitude Toward minga (Decree, Destiny)	77	(7)
Yia (Propriety) and Hsina (Heart/Mind)	84	(52)
General	85	(2)
The Debate with Kao Tzu About hsinga (Nature, Characteristic Tendencies) in 6A:1-3	87	(7)
The Debate with Kao Tzu About yia (Propriety) in 6A:4-5	94	(18)
Mencius's Rejection of Kao Tzu's Maxim in 2A:2	112	(15)
Mencius's Criticism of the Mohist Yi Chih in 3A:5	127	(9)
Self-Cultivation	136	(44)
Ethical Predispositions of the Heart/Mind	136	(13)
Self-Reflection and Self-Cultivation	149	(14)
Self-Cultivation and the Political Order	163	(10)
Ethical Failure	173	(7)
Hsinga (Nature, Characteristic Tendencies)	180	(55)
Jenb (Human) hsinga	180	(18)
Hsina (Heart/Mind), hsinga, and t'ien (Heaven)	198	(12)
Hsinga Is Good	210	(12)
Mencius and Hsun Tzu on hsinga	222	(13)
Notes	235	(28)
Character List	263	(6)
Bibliography	269	(12)
Index of Passages in the ``Meng-tzu''	281	(4)
Subject Index	285