Mencius Quotes
Mengzi, conventionally known in the West as Mencius, was a Chinese Confucian philosopher of the fourth century BC, traditionally regarded as the second sage of the Confucian tradition after Confucius himself. His teachings, recorded in the book that bears his name, develop the central Confucian themes of moral cultivation and right government with particular emphasis on the original goodness of human nature. The quotes below are attributed to Mencius, organized by topic.
Browse Mencius by topic
Mencius on Death
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“He who outrages benevolence is called a ruffian: he who outrages righteousness is called a villain. I have heard of the cutting off of the villain Chow, but I have not heard of the putting of a ruler to death .”
1B:8, In relation to righteousness and the overthrow of the tyrannous King Zhou of Shang , as translated by Sir Robert Kennaway Douglas, China (1904), p. 8 | Variant translations: The ruffian and the villain we call a mere fellow. I have heard of killing the fellow Chou; I have not heard of killing a king. In Free China Review , Vol. 5 (1955) I have merely heard of killing a villain Zhou, but I ha -
“They who accord with Heaven are preserved, and they who rebel against Heaven perish.”
The Mencius | Book 4, part 1, ch. 7
Mencius on Freedom
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“Variant translations: The ruffian and the villain we call a mere fellow. I have heard of killing the fellow Chou; I have not heard of killing a king. In Free China Review , Vol. 5 (1955) I have merely heard of killing a villain Zhou, but I have not heard of murdering the ruler. Wing-tsit Chan, in A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy (1963), p. 78”
He who outrages benevolence is called a ruffian: he who outrages righteousness is called a villain. I have heard of the cutting off of the villain Chow, but I have not heard of the putting of a ruler to death .
Mencius on God
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Attributed to Mencius:
“Heaven sees with the eyes of its people; Heaven hears with the ears of its people.”
Mencius on Justice
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“Variant translation: The sense of compassion is the beginning of benevolence; the sense of shame the beginning of righteousness; the sense of modesty the beginning of decorum; the sense of right and wrong the beginning of wisdom. Man possesses these four beginnings just as he possesses four limbs. Anyone possessing these four and saying that he can not do what is required of him is abasing himself. Yao Dan, translated by Li Ziliang, Li Guoqing and Zhao Feifei, Chinese Literature: From 'The Book of Songs' to 'A Dream of Red Mansions' (Beijing: China Intercontinental Press, 2006), p. 24”
The feeling of commiseration is the beginning of humanity ; the feeling of shame and dislike is the beginning of righteousness; the feeling of deference and compliance is the beginning of propriety; and the feeling of right or wrong is the beginning of wisdom. Men have these Four Beginnings just as they have their four limbs. Having these Four Beginnings, but saying that they cannot develop them i -
“The sense of mercy is found in all men; the sense of shame is found in all men; the sense of respect is found in all men; the sense of right and wrong is found in all men.”
The Mencius | 6A:6 -
“Benevolence brings under its sway whatever hinders its power, just as water subdues fire: they only doubt the power of water to quench flames who try to extinguish with a cupful a whole burning wagon-load of fagots.”
Nitobe Inazō, Bushido: The Soul of Japan , 13th ed. (1908), pp. 38–39
Mencius on Knowledge
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“If the king loves music , there is little wrong in the land.”
Discourses , as quoted in "I Want to Know!" by Ivan Gogol Esipoff, The Etude , Vol. LXIII, No. 9 (September 1945), p. 496 -
“Mencius went to see King Huei of Liang. The king said, "Venerable sir, since you have not counted it far to come here, a distance of a thousand li , may I presume that you are provided with counsels to profit my kingdom?" Mencius replied, " Why must your Majesty use that word " profit "? What I am provided with, are counsels to benevolence and righteousness , and these are my only topics.”
Book 1, part 1, as translated by James Legge in The Life and Works of Mencius (1875), p. 124 -
“Those who are humane achieve glory. Those who are inhumane suffer disgrace.”
2A:4 -
“The feeling of commiseration is the beginning of humanity ; the feeling of shame and dislike is the beginning of righteousness; the feeling of deference and compliance is the beginning of propriety; and the feeling of right or wrong is the beginning of wisdom. Men have these Four Beginnings just as they have their four limbs. Having these Four Beginnings, but saying that they cannot develop them i”
2A:6, as translated by Wing-tsit Chan in A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy (1963), p. 65 -
“The way of learning is none other than finding the lost mind .”
The Mencius | 6A:11, as translated by Wing-tsit Chan in A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy (1963), p. 58 -
“The great end of learning is nothing else but to seek for the lost mind.”
Pebbles, Pearls and Gems of the Orient(1882) | "Uses and Sanctions", no. 32 -
“How lamentable is it to neglect the path and not pursue it, to lose the mind and not know to seek it again! When men’s fowls and dogs are lost, they know to seek for them again, but they lose their mind and do not know to seek for it.”
Nitobe Inazō , Bushido: The Soul of Japan , 13th ed. (1908), p. 21 -
“"Knowledge and Wisdom", no. 131 · "Celebration and Worship", no. 587”
Pebbles, Pearls and Gems of the Orient(1882)
Mencius on Love
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Attributed to Mencius:
“If you love others and they don't love you, look at your own benevolence.”
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Attributed to Mencius:
“Friends are the brothers God never gave us.”
Mencius on Mind
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Attributed to Mencius:
“All things are already complete in oneself.”
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“He who exerts his mind to the utmost knows his nature.”
7A:1, as translated by Wing-tsit Chan in A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy (1963), p. 62 -
“At forty, I had attained the unperturbed mind.”
Pebbles, Pearls and Gems of the Orient(1882) | "Discipline and Character", no. 41
Mencius on Nature
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“If you let people follow their feelings , they will be able to do good . This is what is meant by saying that human nature is good.”
The Mencius | Book 6, pt. 1, v. 6
Mencius on Politics
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“I have merely heard of killing a villain Zhou, but I have not heard of murdering the ruler.”
The Mencius | Wing-tsit Chan, in A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy (1963), p. 78 -
“Of the first importance are the people, next comes the good of land and grains, and of the least importance is the ruler.”
The Mencius -
“The people are the most important ... and the ruler is the least important.”
The Mencius
Mencius on Truth
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“Compare: Oh, Soul, remember howe’er small the scope Of thought or action that around thee lies, It is the finished task alone can ope The gates of paradise. — Anon.”
Pebbles, Pearls and Gems of the Orient(1882)
Mencius on Virtue
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“The great man is he who does not lose his child's-heart.”
大人者，不失其赤子之心者也 -
Attributed to Mencius:
“Benevolence is man's heart, righteousness is man's path.”
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“The feeling of compassion is the beginning of benevolence; the feeling of shame is the beginning of righteousness; the feeling of deference is the beginning of propriety; the feeling of right and wrong is the beginning of wisdom.”
2A:6, as translated by Wing-tsit Chan in A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy (1963), p. 65 | Variant translation: The sense of compassion is the beginning of benevolence; the sense of shame the beginning of righteousness; the sense of modesty the beginning of decorum; the sense of right and wrong the beginning of wisdom. Man possesses these four beginnings just as he possesses four limbs. Anyone p -
Attributed to Mencius:
“Try the difficult things while they are easy; do the great things while they are small.”
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“The virtues are not poured into us, they are natural. Seek, and you will find them: neglect, and you will lose them.”
Pebbles, Pearls and Gems of the Orient(1882) | "Uses and Sanctions", no. 22