What kind of philosophy of human nature does the story of Mencius and King Qi Xuan seeing the ox bu

Said itIn order to solve a problem, a new problem arises. This set of theories is indeed very unreasonable, and even has a bit of a taste of occupational discrimination. However, if we analyze it carefully, here Mencius points out one for usThe question of ethical values and their motivation for practice

At that time, in order to persuade King Qi Xuan to practice benevolent government, Mencius specially mentioned the deeds of King Qi Xuan who exchanged sheep for cattle, and specially praised him, saying that King Qi Xuan was a good comrade with a conscience and had a great future in practicing benevolent government. After some foreshadowing, Mencius mentioned that people have an unbearable heart and can't see other lives fall in front of their eyes, so a conscientious gentleman should stay away from the kitchen, after all, slaughtering small animals all day long is easy to make himself insensitive.

This kind of behavior is not a product of rationalization guided by the norms of modern Western utilitarianism and Kantian deontologyRather, it stems from the moral instincts and moral intuitions of benevolence inherent in the heart.

Although the era of war and killing in which King Xuan of Qi lived determined the fate of benevolence and repression. ButYes, kindness as a moral instinct is different from a moral habit. Moral habits can be cultivated or eliminated by changes in external circumstances and repetition of behavior

However, kindness can be suppressed by a change of circumstances and cannot be eliminated. With proper external guidance, then it will be stimulated.

Mencius put forward an interesting idea about one of the actions of King Xuan of Qi, that is, the gentleman is far away from cooking. Many people do not understand this concept put forward by Mencius, and simply directly slander Mencius for both quibbling and hypocrisy. Here Mencius points out to us a question of ethical values and their motivation for practice.

In order to avoid or correct one mistake, another mistake is inadvertently made; In order to solve a problem, a new problem arises. Although the latter may seem to be a little less harmful - like the difference in the size of a cow or sheep, which is the lesser of two evils, it is always a bit of a fifty steps of laughter and a hundred steps, and there is no difference in essence, and it will be self-defeating if you don't get it right.

It is said that in order to solve a problem, a new problem is created.

The cruelty to cattle and sheep is actually the same, and we cannot love all people in the world like Our Lady.

There is no difference in essence, and if you don't get it right, you can be self-defeating, like Father Lascasas did bad things with good intentions!

It's good to know how to be flexible, but the outcome of the flexibility is still the same, and it doesn't make much sense.

Mencius points us to the question of ethical values and their motivation for practice.

Is it the other way around? Did you let the cattle go away and replace them with sheep? The first part of "Mencius" Liang Hui Wang said: "A gentleman is also a beast, seeing his life, he can't bear to see his death; Hearing its voice, I can't bear to eat its flesh. It is a gentleman who cooks far away. ”

The name of the allusion is Junzi Yuanku. You go check it out.