WORLD RELIGIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -Mencius (/ˈmɛnʃiəs/ MEN-shee-əs); born Meng Ke (Chinese: ); or Mengzi (Chinese: ; 372–289 BC) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher who has often been described as the “second Sage” (“”), that is, second to Confucius himself. He is part of Confucius’ fourth generation of disciples.

Detailed explanation-2: -In contrast, Mencius, while not denying the value of the classics and ritual, stressed reflection based upon one’s own innate dispositions toward virtue. Mencius was born about a century after the death of Confucius.

Detailed explanation-3: -Mencius strongly asserted that human nature was fundamentally good, not evil. Known as the idealized form of Confucianism, Mencius argued that there is inherent goodness in all people. In fact, most scholars believe it is actually Mencius, and not Confucius, who came up with Confucianism’s central concept of Jen.

Detailed explanation-4: -Mencius is known as the self-styled transmitter of the Confucian Way. Educated first by his mother and then allegedly by a student of Confucius’s grandson, Mencius brilliantly performed his role as a social critic, a moral philosopher, and a political activist.