A Research On Mencius’ Thought Of Responsibility

Mencius who had a strong sense of responsibility acting in Vassal states dare to tell the fault of the rulers directly and require them performing duties actively. This paper is mainly discussing the thought of Mencius’political responsibility、ethics responsibility and moral responsibility according to his thoughts of policy of benevolence、theory of human nature and relationship between roles and responsibilities. In political responsibility which main object is Gentlemen and Collision, Mencius used the difference of no action and no possibility to explains the rulers having responsibilities to put policy of benevolence into practice. The measures of policy of benevolence were urging people to produce and be educated。Collision’s duty was remonstration and the ability of comprehensive planning in administrative process. In ethics responsibility, its core is the relationship between father and son. Confucian’s fundament is Benevolence and Filial Piety, performing the responsibility of Filial Piety not only has ethics meaning but also social meaning, which changes Filial Piety into Loyalty. In moral responsibility, the paper explored person’s Universal responsibility with the distinction of human being and animal, the distinction of gentlemen and common people. For the distinction of human being and animal, the paper argue why a person should undertake the responsibility of men but not animal. And Forthe distinction of gentlemen and common people, the question is why should common people to be gentlemen(junzi,君子)and how to. All of above, the paper reflects the composition, dimensions and concerns of the Mencius thought of responsibility.