A Study On Mencius’theory Of Heaven And Man

The pair of philosophical category of’Heaven’and’Man’is more ancient and important in the Chinese philosophical history, which had attracted more and more Chinese philosophers to the discussion and research on them. Furthermore, the ancient Chinese philosophy has been established and developed around the’Heaven’and’Man’ and their relationships. Confucianism, Mohism, Taoism, and the Yin-yang school,all of them had wonderful and different explanations for them, so as to’the saint’of Confucianism-Mencius. He implemented and expanded his theory by vigorously relating and analyzing the’Heaven’ and the’Man’and he was the first man in the history of the Confucian school to establish the theoretical system of this two categories. And through the system, he elaborated the question of humanity and the Heaven which was rarely said by the Confucius and he formed his own unique theory of’Heaven’and ’Man’, which had occupied an important role in the history of Chinese Philosophy.This paper will mainly study Mencius’theory on the’Heaven’; Mencius’theory on the’Man’; Mencius’theory on the relationship between the’Heaven’ and the’Man’. By renewing and analyzing the meanning of’Heaven’ and the’Man’, Mencius demonstrated his own unique theory of Heaven and Man and pointed out their logical relationship shown in the development. About Mencius’ theory on the’Heaven’, I’ll inquire the meaning of the’Heaven’ and the role of the’Heaven’ and then point out the attitude of Mencius to the’Heaven’ which all referred to in his classical books. In this process, Mencius showed great reverence for the objective and supreme Heaven, and insisted on keeping the experience and the belief of the’Heaven’. In Mencius’ theory of the’Man’, he put the’Man’in the position between animals and the saint. He pointed that there are plenty of differences and similarities existing between the man and animals the same as between the saint and the man. And he eventually concluded that the’Man’are different from animals in itself and every man and the saint belong to the same category, which provides a potential for us to become a saint. Then he deeply explored the relationship between the ’Heaven’ and the ’Man’, just around the question of humanity and the Heaven put forward by Confucius. On the basis of inheritance, Mencius further put forward the three development of the statesof the relationship between the ’Heaven’ and the ’Man’:Natural state; Actual state; Ideal state. Concrete expressions are that:’My characteristics and virtue are assigned by the Heaven’, which means the relationship between the ’Heaven’ and the ’Man’ is naturally harmonious;’The detailed reason for the eroded heart by desires’,which means the relationship between the ’Heaven ’and the ’Man’ is actually dissociated;’Return to their own original and pure heart’, which means the ideal state of the relationship between the ’Heaven’ and the ’Man’. In all, in the eyes of Mencius, the relationship between the ’Heaven’ and the ’Man’ shown in the development is logical and multiple-layered,which presents a common thread:unseparated-separated-ideally unseparated. Only by deeply researching the contents above, can we truly grasp the essence of Mencius’ thoughts and deeply understand the related theory of Mencius.