Gongduzi asks why people differ morally. Mencius distinguishes the thinking moral heart (greater part) from passive, easily misled senses. Prioritizing the heart secures virtue and makes one noble, while following senses makes a petty person.
Mencius observes people carefully nurture paulownia trees yet neglect cultivating their own moral minds. He laments this absurd imbalance, blaming careless unthinking, and urges people to prioritize nourishing their inner virtuous nature over tending external plants.
Mencius refutes fallacies about Shun’s reign, laying out a classic text-reading rule: grasp authors’ intent beyond literal words. He argues filial piety outweighs royal rank; as Son of Heaven, Shun still showed full reverence to his father Gusou.
Mencius went to see King Hui of Liang, who stood by a pond, gazing at the swans, geese, elks and deer, and said, “Do virtuous men also take delight in such scenes?”