24 Facts About Mencius

Mencius was part of Confucius's fourth generation of disciples, inheriting his ideology and developing it further.

Mencius was born Meng Ke in the state of Zou, in what is Zoucheng, Shandong.

Mencius was an itinerant philosopher and sage, and one of the principal interpreters of Confucianism.

Mencius expressed his filial piety when he took three years leave of absence from his official duties for Qi to mourn his mother's death.

Mencius's mother is often held up as an exemplary female figure in Chinese culture.

Mencius's mother Meng Mu, born Zhang, raised her son alone.

Mencius's mother decided to remain, and Mencius became a scholar.

Mencius's mother responded to his apparent disregard for his education by taking up a pair of scissors and cutting the cloth she had been weaving in front of him.

Mencius thought his wife had violated a rite, and demanded a divorce.

Mencius's mother claimed that it was written in The Book of Rites that before a person entered a room, he should announce his imminent presence loudly to let others prepare for his arrival; as he had not done that in this case, the person who had violated the rite was Mencius himself.

Mencius is one of 125 women of which biographies have been included in the Biographies of Exemplary Women, written by Liu Xiang.

Mencius expounds on the concept that the human is naturally righteous and humane.

Mencius describes this in the context of educating rulers and citizens about the nature of man.

Mencius denounced memorization and advocated active interrogation of the text, saying "One who believes all of a book would be better off without books".

Mencius believed in the power of Destiny in shaping the roles of human beings in society.

Mencius denied that Heaven would protect a person regardless of his actions, saying, "One who understands Destiny will not stand beneath a tottering wall".

Mencius emphasized the significance of the common citizens in the state.

Mencius distinguished between superior men who recognize and follow the virtues of righteousness and benevolence and inferior men who do not.

Mencius suggested that superior men considered only righteousness, not benefits.

Mencius advocated for no taxes on imports; the market was to exchange for what you lacked so taxing merchants importing goods would ultimately hurt the villagers.

Scarcity is an issue in any market; however, Mencius emphasizes the reframing of the idea of a scarce resource.

Mencius's disciples included a large number of feudal lords, and he is said to have been more influential than Confucius had been.

The Mencius is one of the Four Books that Zhu Xi grouped as the core of orthodox Neo-Confucian thought.

The first Mencius Institute was established in Xuzhou, China in 2008 under a collaboration between Jiangsu Normal University, China Zoucheng Heritage Tourism Bureau, and Xuzhou Mengshi Clan Friendship Network.