Asian
Explain three quotes from ether Confucius, Mencius, or Xun-Zi
Mencius is in the privileged position of providing political advice to King Xuan of Qi. Mencius offers a clear political philosophy rooted in ethical principles. The core ethical principles are humanitarian in nature, based on Mencius's core belief in the essential goodness of human nature. Mencius's political philosophy is grounded in just and humane leadership. There are several core tenets of Mencius's political philosophy, and he advises the king accordingly. The first primary tenet is that leaders need to ensure equitable wealth distribution because poverty and injustice breed criminality and other social problems. The second tenet is that righteousness is important in its own right; that even though the leader ensures his own continued power and respect by being a good king, self-serving interests are insufficient to ensure one's efficacy as a ruler. It is more important to be genuinely good and humane. Third, Mencius outlines a metaphysical approach to leadership rooted in the concept of qi. The following three quotes illustrate Mencius's political and ethical philosophies.
"The people, lacking a constant means of livelihood, will lack constant minds, and when they lack constant minds there is no dissoluteness, depravity, deviance, or excess to which they will not succumb to," (cited by deBary, 1999, p. 123). This quote underscores Mencius's view on social justice and the role a leader plays in ensuring equity. Mencius's political philosophy is based firmly on enabling citizens to have equal access to wealth. However, leaders need to ensure equitable wealth distribution as an ethical imperative, not only to ensure social stability. In other words, Mencius urges the king to view social justice as a moral matter and not just as a pragmatic or self-serving matter. There are several other instances in which Mencius's advice parallels the quote related to ensuring social stability by providing well for the people. For example, Mencius also notes that business transactions must be conducted ethically. As he states, "there are humaneness and rightness, that is all…when rightness is subordinated to profit the urge to lay claim to more becomes irresistible," (cited by deBary, 1999, p. 116-7). Similarly, kings who profit inordinately from their people are unjust rulers who have neglected the duty of righteousness. Profitability is fine when it is subsumed to the greater need for morality.
The humane king fosters a good quality of life and happiness in the people by ensure the adequate provision of food, shelter, and clothing. Moreover, the humane king does not approach deviance with punitive responses. Punishments are neither necessary nor productive. In fact, Mencius views deviance as a response to conflict or strain. People who do not have enough money will rebel or perhaps commit crimes. On the other hand, people who are happy and content will cultivate strong social ties in their community. "If the king bestows humane government on the people, reduces punishments, and lightens taxes…the strong will be able to use their leisure time to cultivate filiality and brotherliness," (cited by deBary, 1999, p. 119). Mencius has such a high view of human nature, that he does not view the peasant as being any less capable of enlightenment or moral action than the king is. All people are capable of moral rightoueness, implies Mencius. The king has a greater responsibility to a larger number of people than the peasant, but that fact does not make the king morally superior. When peasants have enough food, shelter, and clothing, their minds are calm and their emotional stable. They can then devote their lives to cultivating harmonious social ties and thinking on higher ideals than finding food. The enlightened ruler, notes Mencius, helps to "regulate the people's livelihood" because it is what a wise leader would do (cited by deBary, 1999, p. 123). Wisdom in action stems from moral certainty. Depravity is a product not of being a bad person but of injustice. When the poor people act in ways that can be considered depraved, it is unethical to punish them because doing so is a form of entrapment. "If, once they have sunk into crime, one responds by subjecting them to punishment -- this is to entrap the people," (cited by deBary, 1999, p. 123). Mencius asks the king to examine broad sociological patterns when contemplating the best way to achieve social harmony and stability.
Righteousness on the part of a ruler is important for political and social stability. As Mencius writes as a political adviser...
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