The meaning of benevolence and righteousness?

I. Meaning

1. generous and upright.

2, gentle nature, understanding of things.

2. Renyi

1. It is an important ethical category in Confucianism. Its original meaning is benevolence and justice. As early as the "Rituals - Qu Li Shang": "moral benevolence and righteousness, non-rituals can not be." In the Warring States period, Mencius (Meng Ke) emphasized this concept; after that, the Han Confucian Dong Zhongshu succeeded him, taking "benevolence and righteousness" as the highest standard of traditional morality.

2. After the Song Dynasty, "benevolence and righteousness" became an alias of traditional morality due to the elaboration and promotion of rationalists, and was often called "benevolence and righteousness" together with "morality". It is also known as the "Five Constants" together with "Rites, Wisdom and Faith".

Expanded information:

Meng Zi's idea of benevolence and righteousness. "

1. Compared with Confucius who lived in the Spring and Autumn Period, Mencius who lived in the middle of the Warring States Period was living in an environment that had changed a lot. Politically, the land ownership system of the clan lords gradually changed to the private ownership system of the landlords, and the conflicts within the ruling class became more and more acute and complicated. Politically, the land ownership system of the clan lords gradually changed to the private ownership system of the landlords, and the contradictions within the ruling class became more and more sharp and complicated, and the wars of annexation became more and more intense;

2. Economically, as the iron smelting technology was widely used in production and life, the productivity of the society was greatly improved, and the economy of the society became more and more prosperous, and all countries adopted corresponding reform measures to provide a guarantee for the rapid development of the economy of the society. The ruling class cruelly exploited and oppressed the working people;

3. Culturally, the progress of science and technology further improved people's ideological understanding, and people in times of turmoil were free to act and think more actively than ever before. Under these circumstances, the original "benevolence" of Confucius was no longer able to adapt to the changes of the times. In this case, Mencius' unique idea was created and formed.

Second, the results of the development of the doctrine of Confucius

1, Mencius in the absorption of Confucius's ideas at the same time, their own knowledge is also constantly improving and enriching, in order to make their own ideas more persuasive and easier to be accepted by the people, he combined with his own experience, to the center of Confucius' "benevolence" thought, and the inclusion of "righteousness". In order to make his ideas more convincing and more acceptable to people, he combined his own experience and centered on Confucius' idea of "benevolence" and incorporated "righteousness" into it, making "benevolence" in Confucius' ideas the principle of patriarchal ethics for the family and "righteousness" as the principle of social ethics for the relationship between ruler and minister and the relationship between the eldest and the youngest.

2. "Benevolence and righteousness" are two of the four virtues of Mencius, "benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom". Although Confucius also put forward these four virtues, he emphasized "benevolence", which means that people should be dear to each other, and "benevolence", which means that people should maintain the rule of the Zhou Dynasty, and "righteousness", which means that people should be dear to each other. Although Confucius had also proposed these four virtues, he emphasized "benevolence", which is the way people should be dear to each other, and "propriety", which is the way to maintain the order of the Zhou Dynasty. Mencius, on the other hand, supplemented "benevolence" with "righteousness" to make Confucianism more complete and rational.

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