The Second Sage of Confucianism

The Mencius (Mengzi) records the teachings, conversations and debates of Mencius (Meng Ke, c. 372-289 BCE), the most important follower of Confucius in the classical age and traditionally honoured as the "Second Sage" of the Confucian tradition. Living some two centuries after Confucius, in the turmoil of the Warring States period, Mencius travelled from court to court urging rulers to govern by virtue, and the book, compiled by his disciples, probably in the late fourth or third century BCE, preserves these encounters in a series of vivid dialogues far longer and more developed than the terse sayings of the Analects.

In seven books it presents Mencius arguing with kings, rival philosophers and students, defending and extending the Confucian vision against the competing schools of his day, above all the utilitarian Mohists and the self-interest philosophy associated with Yang Zhu. The Mencius is prized as one of the finest works of early Chinese prose, its arguments carried by memorable parables, sharp exchanges and a distinctive combination of moral earnestness and rhetorical wit.