Peng Geng asked Mencius:
“You travel with dozens of carriages and hundreds of followers, eating your way through the feudal states – isn’t that excessive?”
Mencius replied:
“If it’s against the Way (Dao), one shouldn’t accept even a single basket of rice from others.
But if it accords with the Way, even Shun accepting the entire empire from Yao wasn’t excessive – do you think it was?”
Peng Geng said:
“No, that wasn’t.”
Mencius continued:
“You’re right. But you also claim, ‘Scholars who do nothing shouldn’t eat.’
Have you considered social division of labor?
If people don’t exchange surpluses to cover shortages, farmers will have excess grain and weavers excess cloth.
Once exchange is allowed, carpenters and carriage-makers can earn their meals.
Now, suppose there’s a man who is filial at home, respectful to elders outside, upholds the ancient kings’ Way, and teaches future learners – yet you refuse to feed him.
Why do you honor carpenters and carriage-makers but look down on those who practice benevolence and righteousness?”
Peng Geng countered:
“Carpenters work to earn food; but when gentlemen pursue the Way, are they also just seeking food?”
Mencius asked:
“Why judge by intention? If someone benefits you, feed them!
Tell me: do you feed people based on their intention or their contribution?”
Peng Geng answered:
“I feed them based on intention.”
Mencius retorted:
“Suppose someone smashes tiles and scribbles on plastered walls, claiming he does it to get food – would you feed him?”
“No!” said Peng Geng.
“Then,” concluded Mencius, “you don’t feed intention – you feed contribution!”
Note
This passage from Mencius: Teng Wen Gong II defends the social legitimacy of scholars through a sophisticated argument about labor, value, and moral economy.
Intellectual labor as productive work
Against the common view that only manual labor “counts,” Mencius places scholars within a system of social interdependence. Just as farmers and artisans contribute goods, scholars preserve culture and moral order – a vital public service.
“Feed contribution, Not intention”: A pragmatic ethics
Mencius rejects judging worth by inner motives. Using the absurd example of a wall-scribbler “seeking food,” he shows that social support must be based on actual benefit, not claimed purity of purpose.
Upholding the Dao as public service
To “guard the Way of the ancient kings and instruct future learners” is not private virtue but civilizational stewardship. In an age of chaos, such work sustains the very fabric of society.
Rejecting ascetic moralism
True virtue doesn’t require poverty. If society doesn’t sustain its moral teachers, the Dao will perish. As Confucius said, “The gentleman seeks the Dao, not food” – but society must still provide food so he can seek the Dao.
Historical Legacy: Legitimizing the scholar class
This argument underpinned China’s civilizational model for two millennia: the state supports scholars not as charity, but as payment for the irreplaceable service of moral and cultural continuity.
Mencius thus establishes a timeless principle: Teaching truth and nurturing virtue is honest work – and deserves honest bread.
滕文公章句下·第四节
彭更问曰：“后车数十乘，从者数百人，以传食于诸侯，不以泰乎？”
孟子曰：“非其道，则一箪食不可受于人；如其道，则舜受尧之天下，不以为泰，子以为泰乎？”
曰：“否。士无事而食，不可也。”
曰：“子不通功易事，以羡补不足，则农有余粟，女有余布；子如通之，则梓匠轮舆皆得食于子。于此有人焉，入则孝，出则悌，守先王之道，以待后之学者，而不得食于子。子何尊梓匠轮舆而轻为仁义者哉？”
曰：“梓匠轮舆，其志将以求食也；君子之为道也，其志亦将以求食与？”
曰：“子何以其志为哉？其有功于子，可食而食之矣。且子食志乎？食功乎？”曰：“食志。”
曰：“有人于此，毁瓦画墁，其志将以求食也，则子食之乎？”曰：“否。”
曰：“然则子非食志也，食功也。”
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