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Mencius – Chapter 8.6 Beyond appearances: Authentic ritual, genuine righteousness
Mencius said: “Rituals that are not truly ritual, and righteousness that is not truly righteous – these are things a noble person will never do.”
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Mencius – Chapter 8.4 Moral Autonomy: the right to withdraw
Mencius said: “If a ruler executes scholar-officials without just cause, then high ministers may leave the state.If a ruler massacres common people without guilt, then scholar-officials (educated individuals) may relocate to another country.”
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Mencius – Chapter 8.3 Reciprocity over obedience: Conditional loyalty
Mencius said to King Xuan of Qi: “If a ruler treats his ministers as his own hands and feet, they will treat him as their heart and mind.If he treats them like dogs or horses, they will regard him as a mere stranger.If he treats them like dust or weeds – worthless and disposable…
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Mencius – Chapter 8.2 Institutional Benevolence over Personal Kindness
Zichan (Zi Chan), while governing the state of Zheng, once used his own carriage to ferry people across the Zhen and Wei rivers.
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Mencius – Chapter 8.1 Moral truth across time and space
Mencius said: “Shun was born in Zhufeng, moved to Fuxia, and died in Mingtiao – he was a man of the Eastern Yi (eastern frontier peoples).King Wen of Zhou was born in Qizhou and died in Biying – he was a man of the Western Yi (western frontier peoples).” “Their homelands were over a…