Mencius

This is a Confucian classic compiled during the Warring States period by Mencius together with his disciples Wan Zhang, Gongsun Chou, and others. It records Mencius's debates with other schools of thought, his teachings to disciples, and his persuasions of rulers, and is counted among the Four Books and Five Classics. Its contents concentrate Mencius's political views, philosophy, and educational ideas, including "benevolent governance" and "the kingly way," and emphasize the people-oriented thought that "the people are the most precious, the state comes next, and the ruler is the lightest," holding that rulers should share joy with the people and govern the state through moral influence; on human nature it upholds the "theory that human nature is good," holding that people are innately endowed with the hearts of the "four beginnings" and advocating that innate goodness be expanded through learning and self-cultivation; it also sets forth the moral standard that "wealth and honor cannot corrupt, poverty and lowliness cannot move, and power and force cannot subdue." The Mencius is known for its eloquence and vigor, skillfully using fables and analogies to argue—such as "pulling up seedlings to help them grow" and "fifty steps laughing at a hundred"—and possesses both profound thought and high literary value; it is an important text for studying pre-Qin Confucianism and ancient Chinese.