Synthesized answer
Mencius would analyze a contemporary ethical dilemma where profit clashes with benevolence and righteousness by asserting that the pursuit of profit leads to negative consequences. He would argue that if superiors and inferiors prioritize personal gain, they will "try to snatch this profit the one from the other, and the kingdom will be endangered" [2]. He emphasizes that focusing on profit means putting "righteousness be put last, and profit be put first," which results in dissatisfaction and a desire to take everything [1].
Mencius's advice, based on his dialogue with King Hûi, would be for leaders to abandon the word "profit" and instead focus on "benevolence and righteousness" as their sole themes [1, 2]. He suggests that if a ruler "will institute a government whose action shall be benevolent," it will attract officers, farmers, merchants, and even those aggrieved by other rulers to their domain [3]. He also implies that acting with benevolence, even in seemingly small gestures like changing an ox for a sheep, can be perceived positively by the people, though the true reason might not be understood [4]. The passages do not explicitly detail how to resolve a contemporary…
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From the book
e kingdom of ten thousand chariots, the murderer of his sovereign shall be the chief of a family of a thousand chariots. In the kingdom of a thousand chariots, the murderer of his prince shall be the chief of a family of a hundred chariots. To have a thousand in ten thousand, and a hundred in a thousand, cannot be said not to be a large allotment, but if righteousness be put last, and profit be put first, they will not be satisfied without snatching all. 'There never has been a benevolent man who neglected his parents. There never has been a righteous man who made his sovereign an after…
← The Chinese Classics/Volume 2/The Works of Mencius The Chinese Classics/Volume 2/The Works of Mencius by Mencius , translated by James Legge Chapter 1 Chapter 2 → 410759 The Chinese Classics/Volume 2/The Works of Mencius — Chapter 1 James Legge Mencius Mencius went to see king Hûi of Liang. The king said, 'Venerable sir, since you have not counted it far to come here, a distance of a thousand lî, may I presume that you are provided with counsels to profit my kingdom?' Mencius replied, 'Why must your Majesty use that word "profit?" What I am provided with, are counsels to benevolence and…
nd Tsâu's contending with Ch'û? For, with such a desire, you must turn back to the proper course for its attainment. 18. 'Now if your Majesty will institute a government whose action shall be benevolent, this will cause all the officers in the kingdom to wish to stand in your Majesty's court, and all the farmers to wish to plough in your Majesty's fields, and all the merchants, both travelling and stationary, to wish to store their goods in your Majesty's market-places, and all travelling strangers to wish to make their tours on your Majesty's roads, and all throughout the kingdom who feel…
our servant knows surely, that it was your Majesty's not being able to bear the sight, which made you do as you did.' 6. The king said, 'You are right. And yet there really was an appearance of what the people condemned. But though Chî be a small and narrow State, how should I grudge one ox? Indeed it was because I could not bear its frightened appearance, as if it were an innocent person going to the place of death, that therefore I changed it for a sheep.' 7. Mencius pursued, 'Let not your Majesty deem it strange that the people should think you were grudging the animal. When you changed a…
← Chapter 4 The Chinese Classics/Volume 2/The Works of Mencius by Mencius , translated by James Legge Chapter 6 → 1488870 The Chinese Classics/Volume 2/The Works of Mencius James Legge Mencius How a ruler may best take satisfaction for losses which he has sustained. That benevolent government will raise him high above his enemies. 1. King Hûi of Liang said, 'There was not in the nation a stronger State than Tsin, as you, venerable Sir, know. But since it descended to me, on the east we have been defeated by Ch'i, and then my eldest son perished; on the west we have lost seven hundred lî of…
More questions about this book
- If you were to explain Mencius's fundamental concern with King Hûi's use of "profit" to a modern leader, how would you articulate the precise chain of societal decay Mencius predicts, and what specific steps in this progression are most convincingly illustrated by his examples?
- Mencius states, "There never has been a benevolent man who neglected his parents. There never has been a righteous man who made his sovereign an after consideration." What essential human principles or societal structures does Mencius assume are universally true to make these claims, and how do they underpin his argument for prioritizing benevolence and righteousness over profit?
- A skeptic might argue that "profit," when managed ethically, is essential for a kingdom's prosperity and its ability to provide for its people. How might Mencius respond to this idea, distinguishing between different forms of "profit," or why might he believe that even well-intentioned pursuit of profit ultimately devolves into the self-interest and danger he describes?
- Mencius urges King Hûi to "also say, 'Benevolence and righteousness, and let these be your only themes.'" Beyond simply reciting these words, what tangible shifts in policy, leadership behavior, and citizen interaction would Mencius expect to see in a kingdom that truly adopted benevolence and righteousness as its exclusive guiding principles, and how would these differ from a kingdom focused on profit?