Mencius (Library of Chinese Classics: Chinese-English edition) - Hardcover

Mencius; Dingzhi, Zhou; Bojun, Yang

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 7543820854 ISBN 13: 9787543820852

Publisher: Hunan Publishing House, 1999

Synopsis

Mencius is a Confucian classic recording the words of Mencius. a thinker and an educator of the midWarring States period and an important representative of the Confucian school, and his followers. It was compiled by Mencius and his disciples.

There are 7 existing "books" or chapters in Mencius, which mainly record Mencius' political activities and doctrines, and his philosophical, ethical and educational thoughts. Mencius was an ardent advocator of the Confucian doctrine. He developed Confucius' thinking of "benevolence" into the doctrine of "benevolent government", and he advanced the theory that "human nature is good", using it as the theoretical basis for this doetrine. He also advocated being modelled on the sage Kings Yao and Shun, instituting the 'jing-field system", "esteeming the virtuous and able", and practising "true kingship" With regard to the relationship between the ruler and his people, he held that the people are of the first importance while "the ruler is of the least importance".

The English translation of this edition, with reference to various translations, is the latest English translation of the book.

About this title

Book Description

Mencius, who lived in the 4th century B.C., is second only to Confucius in importance in the Confucian tradition. The Mencius consists of sayings of Mencius and conversations he had with his contemporaries. When read side by side with the Analects, the Mencius throws a great deal of light on the teachings of Confucius.

Mencius developed many of the ideas of Confucius and at the same time discussed problems not touched upon by Confucius. He drew out the implications of Confucius' moral principles and reinterpreted them for the conditions of his time. As the fullest of the four great Confucian texts, the Mencius has been the required reading amongst Chinese scholars for two thousand years, and it still throws considerable light on the character of the Chinese people.

About the Author

David Hinton's translations of ancient Chinese poetry and philosophy have earned wide acclaim for creating compelling English texts that convey the ambiguity and texture of the originals. His books include translations of the ancient poet Tu Fu, T'ao Ch'ien, Meng Chiao, and Li Po, as well as the contemporary poet Bei Dao. He has held fellowships from The National Endowment for the Arts and The National Endowment for the Humanities. In 1997 his work was awarded the Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets.

Edition details

• Publisher: Hunan Publishing House
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 7543820854
• ISBN 13: 9787543820852
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 354