What did Mencius mean by his heart and how should he do it?

Mencius believed that the difference between humans and animals is that man has a naturally given mind. The human mind is not only epistemic, but also moral. This mind is embodied into four minds, namely, compassion, shame, resignation, and right and wrong.

Mencius believed that the human heart prescribes human nature, and human nature is the actualization and expansion of the human heart. Since man is loving, then man is good by nature. The good nature of human beings is their conscience and ability, and they are manifested in the four virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom.

Nevertheless, Mencius believed that man needed to expand his heart and nature. The key to the cultivation of man's mind is to communicate with heaven and man, and the only way is sincerity, which is true and true. In sincerity, people can achieve the unity of heaven and man.

The theory of the nature of the mind can also be called the science of the nature of the mind, which is a theory or doctrine about the nature of the mind. The philosophy of mind is an important theoretical topic in the history of Chinese philosophy, pre-Qin Confucianism and Taoism, Lao Zhuang thought has the Tao of nature and the Tao of non-action, and the Confucian school of thought after Confucius has also established the philosophy of mind that "knows heaven with all your heart". Although Chinese philosophy revolves around the occasion of heaven and man, the core of the occasion of heaven and man is not heaven, but man.

And the problem of man is essentially the problem of the mind. Therefore, the question of the nature of the mind has always been a basic theory of Chinese philosophy, especially Confucian philosophy. The different understandings and explanations of the nature of the mind are an important manifestation of the differences within Confucianism, and can even be said to be the main symbol of the division of factions within Confucianism.

From the historical evolution of the theory of mind, we can clearly examine the historical trajectory of the development of Confucianism. Meng Wentong once said: "The Confucian theory of the mind is also based on Taoism and the essence of the essence" (Meng Wentong Collected Works, vol. 1, p. 256), suggesting the profound relationship between Confucianism and Taoism in the theory of the mind.

The core theory is that "at the beginning of man, nature is good", advocating the theory of goodness.

The main content of Mencius's theory of origin is the "Theory of Heavenly Dao" and the "Theory of Sexual Goodness", that is, Heaven is the origin of the inherent moral concept of human nature, and the requirements of ethics and morality originate from the nature and heart of human nature.

1) The Theory of Heavenly Dao. The highest category of Mencius's philosophical thought is heaven. It inherited Confucius's idea of the Mandate of Heaven, eliminated the residual meaning of personality and God, and imagined Heaven as a spiritual entity with moral attributes.

Mencius Lilou Shang believes that "those who are sincere are also the way of heaven." Mencius defined the moral concept of sincerity as the essential attribute of heaven, and believed that heaven is the origin of the inherent moral concept of human nature. Mencius's system of thought, including his political and ethical thoughts, was based on the category of heaven.

Mencius believed that heaven is the supreme and has a will, and that the change of dynasties, the transposition of kings, the rise and fall of existence, wealth and poverty, are all determined by the mandate of heaven. The objective world has its own laws, which cannot be violated by man. People must obey the heavens, "those who follow the heavens prosper, and those who go against the heavens perish", and the will of heaven is irresistible.

2) The Theory of Sexual Goodness. Mencius stood on the opposite side of materialist reflectionism, denying that human thought is a reflection of social existence, and believed that human beings are born with the germ of innate goodness. Mencius believed in the "Confession of the Son" that "everyone has compassion; Everyone has a heart of shame; Respectful heart is shared by everyone; Everyone has the heart of right and wrong.

The heart of compassion refers to the staring, benevolence also; The heart of shame is also righteousness; Respectful heart, courtesy; The heart of right and wrong, wisdom also. Benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, and wisdom are not imposed on me from the outside, but also by me. The "Theory of Sexual Goodness" is Mencius's main philosophical thought, and it is the theoretical basis for his discussion of life and politics.

It takes the "theory of goodness" as the theoretical basis for people to cultivate morality and practice royal benevolence, and believes that the requirements of ethics and morality such as benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, and wisdom originate from human nature and have ethical significance. At the same time, the "Theory of Sexual Goodness" believes that everyone can become a gentleman like Yao Shun through learning, and emphasizes the possibility of education, which has great educational significance.

1. Origin theory: there is a source and a source.

2. Theory of life: knowing people and discussing the world.

3. Emotional spine respect: compassion.

Origin Theory: Origin refers to the root of the generation of things. Origin theory can be divided into philosophy, science, economy, society, culture, thought, life, etc., among which the origin theory of philosophy runs through all other aspects.

The understanding of philosophical ontology is divided into several schools: idealists, materialists, materialists, psychologists, negists, fuzzers, pragmatists, and many other supporters. Takashi Hitano.

Mencius: Mencius (c. 372-289 BC), known as Ke, was a native of the middle of the Warring States Period (now southeast of Fuxian County, Shandong), not far from Confucius's hometown of Qufu. He is a well-known thinker, politician, educator, inheritor of Confucius, and an important representative of Confucianism.

Note: In addition to this, Mencius also has a treatise on the nature of the mind

1. Destiny and human nature.

2. Establish its general outline first.

3. Sincerity and conscience.

4. Conscience and conscience.

Mencius was a representative figure of Confucianism and a great thinker of ancient China. He inherited and developed Confucius's thoughts, and put forward many new ideas and views in the fields of philosophy, politics, personality, and education. Philosophically, the theory of human nature is proposed, the concept of benevolence is put forward politically, the spirit of a great husband is put forward in personality, and the idea of cultivating talents in the world is put forward in education.

These ideas and viewpoints supplemented and perfected Confucianism, guided and guided the progress and development of Confucianism in later generations, and constructed the cultural artery of the Chinese nation.

Mencius was a great thinker in ancient China, he took the inheritance of the mantle of Confucius as his own responsibility, and devoted his life to the maintenance and development of Confucius thought, "if you wish, you will learn from Confucius" ("Mencius, Gongsun Chou Shang"), and made important contributions to the development of Confucianism, so that Confucianism is called "the way of Confucius and Mencius", and he is also known as the "sub-sage" second only to the sage Confucius. If Confucius Thought is the origin of Confucian culture, then Mencius Thought is the second fulcrum of Confucian culture, and the origin and fulcrum are connected into a line, which then forms the Confucian cultural tradition and constructs the cultural artery of the Chinese nation.

Zuo Biography said: "There is great virtue, followed by meritorious service, followed by speech, although it has not been abandoned for a long time, this is called immortal." "Virtue, meritorious service, and speech are the life aspirations of scholars in traditional society.

There is no doubt that virtue is in the first place, and it will accompany people for life. In traditional society, meritorious service means serving as an official and serving the government, using one's knowledge and talents to serve the society, govern the country and secure the country, and establish meritorious service. Liyan is generally the next best choice when there is no hope of meritorious service, followed by green lights and yellow rolls, lonely and lonely.

Mencius embarked on the path of speech in the dilemma of being considered by the princes and kings to be "far away and wider than things", and his remarks were collected into the book "Mencius". It was precisely the words that made Mencius a thinker, famous through the ages, and inspired future generations, which had a far-reaching impact on the traditional society of the Chinese nation. Words made Mencius.

Mencius not only inherited Confucius's thoughts, but also creatively developed Confucius's thoughts, philosophically put forward the theory of human nature, politically put forward the concept of benevolence, put forward the spirit of the great husband in personality, and put forward the idea of cultivating talents in the world in education, forming a distinctive spiritual outlook, supplementing and perfecting Confucianism, guiding and leading the progress and development of Confucianism in later generations.

Temptation and forbearance This idiom comes from "Mencius": "Therefore, when the heavens descend to man, he must first suffer his mind, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, empty his body, and act chaotically. ”