Gongduzi asked, “Since all are equally human, why do some become great men (noble persons), while others become petty men?”
Mencius replied, “Those who follow their greater part become great men; those who follow their lesser part become petty men.”
Gongduzi asked, “Since all are equally human, why do some follow their greater part, while others follow their lesser part?”
Mencius replied, “The organs of the ears and eyes do not think, and thus are obscured by external things. When these organs come into contact with external things, they are merely led astray by them. The organ of the heart, however, has the faculty of thinking. By thinking, it grasps the truth; without thinking, it fails to grasp it. This is the gift bestowed upon us by Heaven. If one first establishes the greater part, the lesser part will not be able to snatch it away. This is all it takes to become a great man.”
Note
This passage from the Gaozi I chapter of the Mencius provides a profound analysis of the relationship between the “greater part” and the “lesser part,” as well as between the “mind” and the “senses.” It serves as the core program of the Confucian theory of mental and moral cultivation. Drawing on historical context and traditional commentaries, we can understand its philosophy through the following dimensions:
- Defining the “Greater” and “Lesser” Parts: The Struggle Between Moral Rationality and Physiological Instincts
Mencius divides human physical and mental structure into two hierarchies: the “greater part” is the “mind,” representing innate moral rationality and conscience; the “lesser part” refers to the sensory organs (ears and eyes), representing physiological senses and material desires. Mencius believes that the distinction between noble and petty persons lies not in innate endowment, but in the different choices they make when facing these two forces. Noble persons use reason to guide desires, while petty persons are consumed by them. - The Privilege of “Thinking”: Establishing the Agency of the Moral Subject
Mencius astutely points out the essential difference between the senses and the mind: the senses are passive receivers of external stimuli (“obscured by external things” and “merely led astray”). If the senses are allowed to dominate, humans become slaves to external objects. The “mind,” however, possesses the unique faculty of active thinking (“si”). “By thinking, it grasps the truth; without thinking, it fails to grasp it.” This means that the elevation of one’s moral realm depends entirely on whether the individual takes the subjective initiative to reflect and awaken. - “First Establish the Greater Part”: The Supreme Methodology of Confucian Cultivation
Here, Mencius proposes the most core methodology of Confucian self-cultivation: “If one first establishes the greater part, the lesser part will not be able to snatch it away.” In Mencius’ view, it is impossible for humans to completely eradicate physiological desires; the key lies in establishing the dominant position of the moral mind. As long as one’s inner moral faith and spiritual pursuits are sufficiently firm (“establishing the greater part”), external material temptations and sensory pleasures (the lesser part) cannot shake one’s fundamental character. This provided later Chinese intellectuals with a powerful spiritual weapon to maintain their independent personalities and resist material corruption in complex social environments.
公都子问曰：“钧是人也，或为大人，或为小人，何也？”
孟子曰：“从其大体为大人，从其小体为小人。”
曰：“钧是人也，或从其大体，或从其小体，何也？”
曰：“耳目之官不思，而蔽于物，物交物，则引之而已矣。心之官则思，思则得之，不思则不得也。此天之所与我者，先立乎其大者，则其小者弗能夺也。此为大人而已矣。”
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