Mencius said, “How utterly unfeeling and cruel is King Hui of Liang! A benevolent person extends the love they have for those they care about to those they do not care about as much; an unfeeling person, however, causes harm to those they love because of the harm they inflict on those they do not care about.”
Gongsun Chou asked, “What do you mean by that?”
Mencius replied, “For the sake of territorial expansion, King Hui of Liang sacrificed his people in a brutal war. After suffering a crushing defeat, he wanted to fight again but feared he could not win, so he drove his beloved sons and younger brothers to the front lines to die as sacrifices. This is exactly what is meant by causing harm to those one loves because of the harm inflicted on those one does not care about.”
Note
This passage from the Jin Xin II chapter of the Mencius is a severe critique of the rulers of the Warring States period for their warmongering and disregard for human life. Drawing on historical context and Confucian classics, we can understand its underlying thought through the following dimensions:
- The Reversal of Core Logic: The Direction of Deduction for “Benevolence” and “Unfeelingness”
Mencius presents a highly insightful moral deduction formula here. Confucianism advocates “extending oneself to others”; the deduction of a “benevolent person” is from the inside out, from the near to the far (loving one’s own elders and extending that love to the elders of others), elevating private affection into universal love. Conversely, the deduction of an “unfeeling person” goes in the reverse direction: their greed and cruelty toward the masses (those they do not care about) will eventually backfire, bringing disaster upon their own kin (those they love). Mencius uses this to point out that tyrannical acts that violate benevolent governance will ultimately invite ruin upon oneself. - Profound Exposure of the Nature of “Unfeelingness”: Treating People as Tools
The fact that King Hui of Liang “sacrificed his people in a brutal war” essentially treats the common people as expendable tools for territorial conquest. During the wars of annexation in the Warring States period, rulers launched wars for their own selfish desires, resulting in “fields littered with the dead.” Mencius deeply abhorred this objectification of human life and the treatment of people as worthless grass. When the war machine is activated and reaches a stalemate, in order to maintain power, rulers will even push their own flesh and blood onto the battlefield as cannon fodder. This is the inevitable outcome of extreme selfishness and unfeelingness. - Mencius’ People-Oriented Thought and Anti-War Stance
This dialogue is a vivid embodiment of Mencius’ idea that “the people are the most important element in a nation; the spirits of the land and grain are the next; the sovereign is the lightest.” He did not hesitate to slap the label of “unfeeling” on a monarch, breaking the blind worship of royal power at the time. Mencius believed that the survival of a state and the security of a monarch fundamentally depend on whether they love the people. If a ruler does not cherish the people, the people will not die for them, and ultimately, even the ruler’s closest relatives will suffer the consequences. In the midst of the endless warfare of the Warring States era, this thought issued a profoundly compassionate and clear humanitarian call.
孟子曰：“不仁哉，梁惠王也！仁者以其所爱及其所不爱，不仁者以其所不爱及其所爱。”公孙丑曰：“何谓也？”
“梁惠王以土地之故，糜烂其民而战之，大败，将复之，恐不能胜，故驱其所爱子弟以殉之，是之谓以其所不爱及其所爱也。”
Leave a Reply