Prince Dian asked, “What should be the primary pursuit of a scholar (shi)?” Mencius replied, “One should elevate their aspirations.” Prince Dian asked again, “What does it mean to elevate one’s aspirations?”
Mencius replied, “It simply means adhering to benevolence (ren) and righteousness (yi). To kill an innocent person is not benevolent; to take what does not belong to oneself is not righteous. Where should one reside? In benevolence. What path should one walk? The path of righteousness. If one resides in benevolence and walks the path of righteousness, then the duties of a great person are fully accomplished.”
Note
This passage from the Jin Xin I chapter of the Mencius is a precise summary of the spiritual pursuit and moral bottom line of the scholar class. Drawing on historical context and Confucian classics, we can understand its underlying thought through the following dimensions:
- The Spiritual Coordinates of Scholars: “Elevating Aspirations” and “Benevolence and Righteousness”
During the Warring States period, the scholar class was active across various states, often switching allegiances and losing their moral bottom line for the sake of fame and profit. Prince Dian’s question represented the confusion of many at the time regarding “what a scholar should actually do.” Mencius’ answer was resounding: “Elevate your aspirations.” He further concretized this abstract “aspiration” into the core Confucian values of “benevolence and righteousness.” Mencius used this to establish the spiritual coordinates for scholars: the highest value of a scholar’s existence is not achieving worldly success or acquiring wealth, but steadfastly upholding the Way of benevolence and righteousness. - The Concretization of the Moral Bottom Line: “Killing an Innocent” and “Taking What Does Not Belong to Oneself”
Mencius did not use empty theories to explain “benevolence and righteousness”; instead, he provided two extremely specific behavioral bottom lines: not killing the innocent (the bottom line of benevolence) and not taking unrightfully acquired possessions (the bottom line of righteousness). In an era of frequent warfare and the collapse of social order, feudal lords often slaughtered innocents for territorial expansion, and ministers frequently seized wealth improperly for personal advancement. Mencius used the most basic and inviolable common sense to draw a fundamental red line for human conduct. This demonstrates that Confucian “benevolence and righteousness” are not lofty and detached, but are rooted in the most basic human nature and conscience. - The Spatial Metaphor of Character Cultivation: “Residing in Benevolence and Walking Righteousness” as a Way to Settle One’s Life
Mencius cleverly employed spatial and path metaphors to explain character cultivation. “Where should one reside? In benevolence” means “benevolence” is the dwelling place where the mind finds peace, representing one’s inner moral foundation and empathy. “What path should one walk? The path of righteousness” means “righteousness” is the external road one walks, representing one’s principles in handling affairs and proper conduct. The four characters “residing in benevolence and walking righteousness” perfectly summarize the Confucian path of “inner sagehood and outer kingliness”: having a heart full of benevolence and ensuring external actions conform to righteousness. Mencius concludes with “the duties of a great person are fully accomplished,” meaning that as long as one achieves this, they have realized self-actualization and reached the perfect realm of the ideal personality.
王子垫问曰：“士何事？”孟子曰：“尚志。”曰：“何谓尚志？”
曰：“仁义而已矣。杀一无罪，非仁也；非其有而取之，非义也。居恶在？仁是也；路恶在？义是也。居仁由义，大人之事备矣。”
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