Meng-Tzu (Mencius)

Philosopher of Confucianism and social theorist, b. c. 372 BC (state of Tsou, China), d. c. 289 BC.

Meng-Tzu's original name was Meng K'o. During his life he was commonly known as Meng-Tzu (Master Meng). After his death he received the name Tsou Kung (Duke of Tsou), but for posterity he is mainly known under his Latin name Mencius. He was born into a noble family and lost his father at the age of three. His mother spared no effort to give him an excellent education and moved house several times until she found a home close to a famous school. Chinese still hold her in high regard as the model mother.

Mencius learned the essence of Confucianism from Confucius' grandson Tzu Ssu. Living in the era of the Warring States, where politics was about wealth and power and moral disorder grew by the day, he made it his task to travel the country and give moral advice to the rulers of the many states. His exhortation of personal virtuous conduct and humane government did not find the right conditions, and Mencius returned, greatly disappointed, to his native state of Tsou (in today's Shandong province) to teach his pupils.

While not welcome at the courts Mencius was revered by the people. His belief that "Only when the people have a steady livelyhood would they have a steady heart" and that "The people are the most important element in a nation; the spirits of the land and grain come next; the sovereign counts for the least" resonated in the populace. In today's China Mencius is held in high regard as the co-founder of Confucianism, second only to Confucius himself.

Mencius' pupils recorded his ideas and social theories in the seven volume work Mencius. It states that the ruler has to provide for the material livelihood and for the moral guidance of the people and contains a fully worked-out programme of economic self-sufficiency for the entire population based on light taxes, free trade, conservation of natural resources, welfare for the aged and disadvantaged, and reasonably equal sharing of wealth.

Menciu's interpretation of Confucianism lay more or less dormant for over one millenium, but in the 10th century AD his influence increased over that of Hsün-tzu during Neo-Confucianism. In the 12th century AD the six volumes of Mencius were included in the Confucian classics, and Mencius was declared the Second Sage of Confucianism.

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