The people, the state and the ruler according to Mencius’s political thought

Abstract

Mencius (Mengzi) is one of the most important thinkers of Chinese classical philosophy. As a representative of the Confucian school, Mencius succeeded and developed the doctrine of Confucius. His political theory is built around the doctrine of the benevolent government (rén zhèng 仁政). In order to build an ideal state, the government should try to improve the moral character of the people by preventing or alleviating poverty, setting a good example and teaching the people to respect and take care of themselves. Mencius believed that a government is only legitimate if it has the support of the people.

Keywords: Mencius, Confucianism, politics, benevolent government, state, people, ruler.