Mencius said:
“Everyone possesses a heart that cannot bear to see others suffer. The ancient sage-kings had this very ‘heart of not bearing the suffering of others,’ and thus they implemented policies that reflected that compassion.
If one governs with this compassionate heart, ruling the whole world would be as easy as turning a small ball in the palm of one’s hand.
Why do we say everyone has such a heart?
Imagine someone suddenly sees a young child about to fall into a well – immediately, they feel alarm and distress.
This reaction is not because they want to curry favor with the child’s parents, not to win praise from neighbors or friends, and not because they dislike the sound of the child’s cry. It arises spontaneously from within.
From this, we see:
– One who lacks a heart of compassion is not truly human;
– One who lacks a sense of shame and aversion to wrongdoing is not truly human;
– One who lacks a disposition to defer and yield is not truly human;
– One who lacks the ability to discern right from wrong is not truly human.
This heart of compassion is the sprout of benevolence;
the sense of shame is the sprout of righteousness;
the disposition to yield is the sprout of ritual propriety;
and the ability to judge right and wrong is the sprout of wisdom.
Having these four sprouts is as natural to humans as having four limbs.
If someone claims they cannot cultivate virtue despite possessing these sprouts, they are harming themselves.
If someone claims their ruler cannot practice benevolent governance, they are harming their ruler.
Therefore, anyone who recognizes these four sprouts within themselves should actively expand and nourish them – just as a fire, once kindled, can blaze widely; just as a spring, once it begins to flow, can become a mighty river.
If fully cultivated, these sprouts are sufficient to bring peace to the entire realm;
if neglected, one cannot even properly serve one’s own parents.”
孟子曰：「人皆有不忍人之心。先王有不忍人之心，斯有不忍人之政矣。以不忍人之心，行不忍人之政，治天下可運之掌上。所以謂人皆有不忍人之心者，今人乍見孺子將入於井，皆有怵惕惻隱之心。非所以內交於孺子之父母也，非所以要譽於鄉黨朋友也，非惡其聲而然也。由是觀之，無惻隱之心，非人也；無羞惡之心，非人也；無辭讓之心，非人也；無是非之心，非人也。惻隱之心，仁之端也；羞惡之心，義之端也；辭讓之心，禮之端也；是非之心，智之端也。人之有是四端也，猶其有四體也。有是四端而自謂不能者，自賊者也；謂其君不能者，賊其君者也。凡有四端於我者，知皆擴而充之矣，若火之始然，泉之始達。苟能充之，足以保四海；苟不充之，不足以事父母。」
Note
This passage from Mencius: Gongsun Chou I offers the most systematic exposition of Mencius’s doctrine of innate human goodness, forming the bedrock of Confucian moral philosophy.
The heart that cannot bear suffering of others
Through the thought experiment of the child about to fall into a well, Mencius demonstrates that moral emotions are universal, spontaneous, and non-utilitarian – refuting views like Gaozi’s “human nature is neither good nor bad” or Xunzi’s “human nature is evil.”
The “Four Sprouts” theory: Psychological roots of Confucian virtues
By grounding the cardinal virtues – benevolence, righteousness, ritual propriety, and wisdom – in innate emotional dispositions, Mencius anchors ethics in moral psychology. This framework deeply influenced Neo-Confucians like Zhu Xi and Wang Yangming, the latter emphasizing “extending one’s innate knowing”.
The path of Moral Cultivation
Evil arises not from original nature but from self-neglect (“self-harming”). Moral growth requires conscious effort – like tending a flame or a spring – to prevent the sprouts from withering.
Political Implication: Benevolent governance springs from benevolent hearts
Sage-kings rule justly because they have fully developed their innate compassion. Since all share these sprouts, anyone – including ordinary people – can aspire to sagehood, supporting Mencius’s claim that “all people can become Yao or Shun.”
Historical Context: A moral counter to realpolitik
In an age dominated by Legalist pragmatism and Machiavellian diplomacy, Mencius insisted that true political legitimacy flows from moral character, not coercion or cunning.
This passage remains one of the most optimistic affirmations of human potential in Chinese philosophy, providing the psychological and ethical foundation for the Confucian path of self-cultivation, family harmony, state governance, and world peace.
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