《孟子》,四书之一,是儒家学派思想家、哲学家孟子抒发自己政治、教育、哲学、伦理等思想观点的语录集。本书记录了孟子于战国时期周游列国,与各国统治者及孟子的学生们的谈话。本书由孟子及其弟子编作,成书于公元前四世纪晚期。本书为语录体,它所倡导的“人性本善”,贯穿于整本书的谈话之中,而对于具体问题的论述,则在孟子给统治者提出的建议当中有所体现。《孟子》是儒家学派经典著作,与《论语》相比,它的论述体现出了一定的进步性。
本书包括1335个单句。
The Mencius, one of the “Four Books”, is a collection of anecdotes and conversations of the Confucian thinker and philosopher Mencius on topics in moral and political philosophy, often between Mencius and the rulers of the various Warring States. The Mencius records his travels and audiences with the various rulers of the Warring States period, his students, and his other contemporaries. A number of linguistic and textual clues suggest that the text was not only written by Mencius himself but also by his disciples, probably during the late 4th century BC. The Mencius comprises alternating short sayings and extensive dialogues on specific philosophical arguments. Its fundamental positions, such as Mencius' famous argument in chapter 6 that human nature is inherently good, are usually presented as conversations between Mencius and contemporaneous thinkers, while arguments on specific issues usually appear in records of his advice and counsel to various rulers. The Mencius was one of the most important texts of early Confucianism, and represents a notable advance over the Analects of Confucius in terms of sophistication of argument.