00:00In the last episode, we explored Mencius' theory of the goodness of nature and learned how he rooted morality deep in human nature.
00:08Today, we will look at a broader field, politics.
00:12Mencius was convinced that human nature is inherently good, so how does this goodness project onto the governance of the country?
00:19What was the ideal political picture he had in mind?
00:22And what thoughts did his political philosophy of virtue leave behind for future generations?
00:27Mencius' theory of the goodness of nature is the cornerstone of his moral political philosophy.
00:34He believed that political justice must be explored in terms of the goodness of human nature and the way to realize it, which is in line with his emphasis on benevolence and righteousness.
00:45In short, a good political system is first and foremost a manifestation of the personal virtues and character of those who formulate and implement it, which is known as the politics of virtue.
00:55Mencius' therefore advocated the rule of man based on benevolence and righteousness, which is very different from the rule of law in the modern democratic sense.
01:05In his history of pre-Qin political thought, Liang Qichao mentioned that Confucianism advocated the rule of man, believing that, there is a rule of man, not a rule of law.
01:16Xuanzi also said, if you have the right people, you will survive, if you do not have the right people, you will die.
01:23Mencius firmly believed that, a gentleman's guardianship is to cultivate his own body and bring peace to the world, and, a gentleman is benevolent and there is no one who is not benevolent, a gentleman is righteous and there is no one who is not righteous, a gentleman is upright and there is no one who is not upright.
01:40A righteous ruler makes the country stable.
01:43Therefore, Mencius believed that there was no need for cumbersome laws and rules to govern the country.
01:50As long as the moral nature that was originally present in the heart of the monarch was expanded and developed into virtue, the world would be at peace.
01:58The equality and justice that Mencius talked about were not backed up by realistic laws, they were products of pure ideas, and therefore difficult to fully realize in reality.
02:08The so-called, law, at that time was more of a punishment, with a single function and lack of a universal concept of law.
02:16Mencius did not completely reject, law.
02:19He emphasized that even a benevolent monarch needed a corresponding political system to govern the country.
02:25He famously put forward the idea that, mere goodness is not enough to govern, mere law is not enough to do so.
02:33This suggests that virtue plays a key role in both lawmaking and enforcement.
02:38Mencius advocated the unification of human governance with rituals and laws as a way to strengthen the politics of virtue.
02:45The benevolent government of a monarch requires both benevolence and a political system based on virtue.
02:52According to Mencius, those who formulate laws and social policies must be benevolent, as must those who implement them.
03:00He also emphasized the control of the power of the monarch and the responsibility of the government to teach the people morality.
03:06He asked people to pay attention to morality and ethics, if a man has a way, if he is full of food and warm clothes, and if he lives in ease without teaching, he is close to the beasts.
03:18The sages were concerned about this, and made Chi their disciple to teach them human ethics.
03:23Mencius believed in the efficacy of punishment, but emphasized that it should not be overly relied upon, but rather that, the virtuous should be in their positions, the able should be in their offices, the state should be at leisure, and the time should be clear for their government and punishment.
03:39He preached moral indoctrination also because he saw the reality that uneven distribution of wealth could easily lead to strife.
03:48He believed that people needed to be kind, not greedy, and respect those with virtues in order to live in peace.
03:55Mencius advocated that people should follow the example of Yao and Shun and maintain moral rules because, the saints, the highest of all human relationships.
04:03His standards of benevolence and righteousness were not only required of monarchs but also expected of ordinary people.
04:11At the core of Mencius' virtuous political ethics is the preservation and expansion of man's moral humanity.
04:17He envisioned a virtuous political system based on the benevolence and righteousness of the monarch and the people, and made benevolence and righteousness the guiding principles of laws and social rules, which continually strengthened and expanded man's goodness, and thus outlined a peaceful social order.
04:35In his eyes, the order of benevolence and righteousness followed by society was a kind of heavenly way.
04:40Under the guidance of the way of heaven, human beings must not only bring their good nature into play through external moral education to achieve social stability, but also carry out their own moral education in order to comply with the development of their nature and the needs of the external political order.
04:58Moral education of the people is necessary for the rule of the state, in which the monarch has to play an exemplary role.
05:04When the monarch is honest, the people will be honest, thus forming a humane society.
05:10Although Mencius did not explain in detail how the state could fulfill its responsibility of moral education, he cited examples of appointing talented officials, developing agriculture, emphasizing education, and imposing reasonable taxes, all of which reflect the importance he placed on the formulation and implementation of policies for a benevolent state.
05:31This is because these policies are closely related to the needs of the people and can safeguard and maintain the benevolence of the people.
05:38The fact that a benevolent monarch can safeguard and expand the benevolence of the people is the embodiment of a benevolent state.
05:46Mencius believed that an individual's attitude toward family members reflected the degree of morality.
05:52Filial piety to parents and respect for teachers and elders can promote self-education of morality in mind and behavior.
05:59This self-indoctrination also serves the rule of the monarch because it brings inner peace, reduces strife, and promotes social stability.
06:08Individual moral literacy is based on family ethics, which is the foundation of the moral order of the state and society.
06:16According to Mencius, the guardianship of the individual's benevolence requires the existence of a state under the rule of law and a political system.
06:23The rule of law here is different from that of the legalists.
06:28The law advocated by Mencius is the law of propriety, with morality as its foundation and core.
06:36For a monarch to become a holy king, he needs to nourish the goodness of his people.
06:41Only when the people are benevolent can the state be benevolent, the monarch be embraced, and the regime have legitimacy.
06:47Mencius guided the people to accept the rule of a benevolent monarch, believing that a benevolent monarch would bring peace and equality.
06:56He observed that the more popular a ruler was, the less warlike he was, and if foreign wars were inevitable, benevolent rulers tended to win because they acted to protect the interests of the people.
07:08Mencius always advocated a benevolent government, and regarded benevolence and righteousness as the honor of a ruler's rule, so as to win the people's loyalty.
07:16If a monarch lacked benevolence and righteousness and demanded obedience based on power alone, he or she would be met with resistance.
07:25In order to realize benevolent rule, the monarch must convince the people that his feelings and actions are benevolent and that he is able to protect their rights and interests.
07:34In this way, the people will love, respect, and support them in return, and will abide by the political system.
07:41Mencius' political philosophy, with the goodness of human nature as the cornerstone of politics, sought to build an ideal state full of benevolence and righteousness.
07:52Despite its strong coloring of the rule of man and its seeming limitations in a modern society governed by the rule of law,
07:58its emphasis on the morality of the monarch, its concern for the well-being of the people,
08:03and its emphasis on moral edification still left a valuable intellectual legacy for future generations.
