Chinese philosophy

Chinese philosophy
Ancient philosophy
Mencius, from Myths and Legends of China, 1922 by E. T. C. Werner

Name Mencius 孟子

Birth 372 BCE
Death 289 BCE
School/tradition Confucianism
Main interests Ethics, Social philosophy, Political philosophy
Notable ideas Confucianism
Influenced by Confucius
Influenced Nearly every Eastern philosopher


Ancestral name (姓): Ji (Chinese: 姬; Pinyin: Jī)
Clan name (氏): Meng (Ch: 孟; Py: Mèng)[1]
Given name (名): Ke (Ch: 軻; Py: Kē)
Courtesy name (字): Unknown[2]
Posthumous name (謚): Master Meng the Second Sage[3] (Ch: 亞聖孟子; Py: Yàshèng Mèngzǐ)
Styled: Master Meng[4] (Ch: 孟子; Py: Mèngzǐ)


Mencius (Romanization; 孟子, pinyin: Mèng Zǐ; Wade-Giles: Meng Tzu; most accepted dates: 372 – 289 BCE; other possible dates: 385 – 303/302 BCE) was a Chinese philosopher who was arguably the most famous Confucian after Confucius himself.

Contents[hide]

1 Life 2 Influence 3 View on human nature
3.1 The Four Beginnings
4 View on politics 5 View on wars 6 Comparisons to contemporaries
6.1 Xun Zi
6.2 Plato
7 Notes and references
8 External links



[edit] Life
Mencius, also known by his birth name Meng Ke or Ko, was born in the State of Zhou (周朝; pinyin: zhōu cháo; Wade-Giles: chou ch`ao; 372BC to 289BC), now forming the territory of the county-level city of Zoucheng (邹城; originally Zouxian), Shandong province, only thirty kilometres (eighteen miles) south of Qufu, Confucius' birthplace.

He was an itinerant Chinese philosopher and sage, and one of the principal interpreters of Confucianism. Supposedly, he was a pupil of Confucius' grandson, Zisi. Like Confucius, according to legend, he travelled China for forty years to offer advice to rulers for reform.[5] He served as an official during the Warring States Period (403–221 BCE) in the State of Qi (齊; pinyin: qí; 1046 BC to 221 BC) from 319 to 312 BCE. He expressed his filial devotion when he took an absence of three years from his official duties for Qi to mourn his mother's death. Disappointed at his failure to effect changes in his contemporary world, he retired from public life.

[edit] Influence
Mencius' interpretation of Confucianism has generally been considered the orthodox version by subsequent Chinese philosophers, especially the Neo-Confucians of the Song dynasty. The Mencius (also spelled Mengzi or Meng-tzu), a book of his conversations with kings of the time, is one of the Four Books that Zhu Xi grouped as the core of orthodox Neo-Confucian thought. In contrast to the sayings of Confucius which are short and self-contained, the Mencius consists of long dialogues, including arguments, with extensive prose. His last living relatives are Meeka Meng and her family.

[edit] View on human nature
While Confucius himself did not explicitly focus on the subject of human nature, Mencius asserted the innate goodness of the individual, believing that it was society's influence – its lack of a positive cultivating influence – that caused bad moral character. "He who exerts his mind to the utmost knows his nature"[6] and "the way of learning is none other than finding the lost mind".[7]

His translator James Legge finds a close similarity between Mencius' views on human nature and those in Bishop Butler's Sermons on Human Nature.

[edit] The Four Beginnings
To show innate goodness, Mencius used the example of a child falling down a well. Witnesses of this event immediately feel

“ alarm and distress, not to gain friendship with the child's parents, nor to seek the praise of their neighbors and friends, nor because they dislike the reputation [of lack of humanity if they did not rescue the child]... 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 and 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 is to destroy themselves.[8]
”


[edit] View on politics

Portrait painting of Mencius from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.



Mencius spoke frequently and highly of the well-field system.

Mencius emphasized the significance of the common citizens in the state. While Confucianism generally regards rulers highly, he argued that it is acceptable for the subjects to overthrow or even kill a ruler who ignores the people's needs and rules harshly. This is because a ruler who does not rule justly is no longer a true ruler. Speaking of the assassination of the wicked King Zhou of Shang, Mencius said, "I have merely heard of killing a dictator Zhou, but I have not heard of murdering [him as] the ruler."[9].

[edit] View on wars
He said during the Spring and Autumn Period, there's no Just war.

[edit] Comparisons to contemporaries
His alleged years make him contemporary with Xun Zi, Zhuangzi, Gaozi, and Plato.

[edit] Xun Zi
Xun Zi was a Confucian who believed that human nature is originally evil, and the purpose of moral cultivation is to develop our nature into goodness. Obviously, Mencius was at odds with him. His views were declared as unorthodox by Zhu Xi, and Mencius as orthodox.

[edit] Plato
Mencius is often compared to Plato for their theories on human nature. Both were idealists in that they believed in the innate moral goodness of all human beings.

Mencius' argument that unjust rulers may be overthrown is reminiscent of Socrates' argument in Book I of Plato's Republic.

[edit] Notes and references
^ The original clan name was Mengsun (孟孫), and was shortened into Meng (孟). It is unknown whether this occurred before or after Mencius's life.

^ Traditionally, his courtesy name was assumed to be Ziche (子車), sometimes incorrectly written as Ziyu (子輿) or Ziju (子居), but recent scholarly works show that these courtesy names appeared in the 3rd century CE and apply to another historical figure named Meng Ke who also lived in Chinese antiquity and was mistaken for Mencius.

^ That is, the second sage after Confucius. Name given in 1530 by Emperor Jiajing. In the two centuries before 1530, the posthumous name was "The Second Sage Duke of Zou" (鄒國亞聖公) which is still the name that can be seen carved in the Mencius ancestral temple in Zoucheng.

^ Romanized as Mencius.

^ Chan 1963: 49.

^ The Mencius 7:A1 in Chan 1963: 78.

^ The Mencius 6:A11 in Chan 1963: 58.

^ The Mencius 2A:6 in Chan 1963: 65. Formatting has been applied to ease readability.

^ The Mencius 1B:8 in Chan 1963: 62.

Chan, Wing-tsit (translated and compiled). A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1963.

Graham, A.C., Disputers of the TAO: Philosophical Argument in Ancient China (Open Court 1993).

http://54ds6542w.blogspot.com/
http://fewu65fd.blogspot.com/
http://18d414e.blogspot.com/

Athens (Greece)

Athens (Greece)
The Parthenon and other main buildings on the Acropolis were built by Pericles in the fifth century BC as a monument to the cultural and political achievements of the inhabitants of Athens.　　With thousands of years of history and mythology under its belt ， Athens - named for the olive-tree-loving Athena （ goddess of wisdom）- is more than a concrete jungle. It's an affable city enlivened by outdoor cafes， pedestrian streets ， parks， gardens and characters aplenty 。 If you get into the spirit of things， you might not even notice the layer of nefos （smog） hanging overhead.　　The city is bounded on three sides by Mt Parnitha， Mt Pendeli and MtHymettos. Within Athens there are no less than eight hills， of which the Acropolis and Lykavittos are the most prominent 。 The hills provide a peaceful respitefrom the clamour of the city， and offer stunning views to the glistening waters of the Saronic Gulf - the city's boundary on the south side.　　Syntagma Square is the main square of Athens. Syntagma means Constitution so it is also known as Constitution Square. There is a metro station here and a fountain and the main post office and a MacDonalds too.　　Just about everything of interest to the traveller is within a small area surrounding Plateia Syntagmatos （Syntagma Square）。 This area is bounded by the districts of Plaka to the south， Monastiraki to the west， Kolonaki to the east and Omonia to the north.　　Plateia Syntagmatos is dominated by the old Royal Palace and is the beating heart of the business district， with luxury hotels， banks and airline offices. Plaka， nestled below the Acropolis， is the old Turkish quarter and virtually all that existed when Athens was declared the capital of independent Greece. Though Plaka is packed with tourists in high season， it's also one of theprettiest and most atmospheric areas of the city. Monastiraki is the market district and a fascinating part of town to wander. Psiri， nearby， is brimming with stylish cafes and bars and makes a great place to stop for a spot of lunch. Kolonaki， a classy residential area tucked in under Lykavittos Hill， is full of trendy boutiques cx， art galleries and cafes.