Confucius had mentioned filial concern, but Mencius places emphasis on this filial concern prioritizing between special concern for and obligations towards family that is closest to oneself gradating down to others, and stated proper attitude to family as essential to order in society (Lau, 1970).
Mencius extended yi to refer not only to propriety of conduct, but also to self-dignity / self-respect. For instance, he provides the example of a beggar who, starving to death, would, and should, rather die than accept food given to him in a contemptuous manner. 'Yi', as are the other traits, are innate in the individual. One has to cultivate this trait so that one lives one's life according to a certain modicum of self-respect and ethical standards (Shun, 1997).
Mencius retained 'li's connotation to proper conduct but he extended it to the formulation that tendency to accord to 'li' and its nuances (or rules) in the required and proper manner is innate. Appended to it, Mencius described some of the attitudes and required mental conduct of 'li' such as expected conduct in mourning, and ceremonial niceties in social interaction. When necessary, Mencius recommends that certain aspects of 'li' should be disregarded (Shun, 1997).
Mencius also adopts a fourth term, 'zhi' which he translates as 'wisdom'. Early Chinese thought regarded the heart as the base of both cognitive and affective operations (Nivison, 1996). This was the heart/mind of Mencius' 'zhi' (Shun, 1997), which requires the ability to follow affect or cognition according to one's best discretion, to balance...
Mencius saw Tian as the source of morality and social sanction (if the king was good, Heaven enabled him to rule). Hsun Tzu, on the other hand, perceived heaven as dispassionate and unresponsive at best to human predicament and existence, He therefore advocated that man should not look to Tian for assistance or attempt to placate or please tian, but rather endeavor to craft his own fate (Watson, 2003).
Mencius thought that virtue was a matter to be developed while Xunzi felt that what was required was not development, but reshaping. The first is like a sprout coming out in a tree whereas the second is like a piece of wood being shaped into an object required by humans. (Chinese Philosophy) Apart from the argument as to whether goodness comes to man from birth or the state, man should
This is very true because even in modern times students who desire to attain good grades will endeavor for that, but a student who has no desire will only go to school to pass time. This analogy can also be vice versa, a petty man can become a gentleman and a gentleman can also become a petty man Austin, Page 106. The main reason they do not change places is
Intellectually my mind was saying: how could this happen in an open and public place with dozens of people walking in the area? There was also a sense of moral anger at the way that social rules and norms were being so openly being flouted. This feeling was strong and related to the physical sense of disgust and distress that I felt at the situation. Reciprocity The above aspects, the physical,
He exemplifies by saying that anyone witnessing a child about to fall in a well would immediately turn to rescue the child without seeking any advantages in doing so. But while this position has been argued on the grounds that "such an example is not intended to prove that all men will actually take some action in such circumstances" (Allinson apud Chan 1996), Chan has defended Mencius by emphasizing
John Rawls / Mencius John Rawls's A Theory of Justice is concerned with distributive rather than retributive justice: there is precious little discussion of crime and punishment in Rawls's magnum opus, but plenty of discussion about equality and fairness. Rawls seems to be embarked on a Kantian ethical project of establishing universal principles, but his chief concern is to establish his principles without requiring, as Kant does, an appeal to God
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