A Comparative Analysis Of The Benevolence And Courtesy Of Mencius And Xun Zi

In traditional Confucianism,the word "gentleman" has rich spiritual connotation.Confucius first clearly put forward the moral connotation of "gentleman" and he realized that the transformation of "gentleman" from a representative of status to a symbol of moral quality.The "gentleman" not only pays attention to the cultivation of their own moral character,but also hopes to influence others through their manner,so as to achieve the “benevolence”of the whole.On the basis of Confucius’ s gentleman thought,Mencius and Xunzi combined with their own social background to further develop the charm of a gentleman’s personality.Mencius and Xunzi are the representatives of Confucian idealism and Confucian realism.On the surface,the thoughts of Mencius and Xunzi are very different,but in fact they are unified,and They all aim to realize the "Tao" of Confucianism.When Mencius and Xunzi expounds the gentleman’s thought,they starts from the different thought path.First,Mencius pointed out from the perspective of "theory of original goodness of human nature" that the virtue of goodness is inherent in human beings,and that it is just need to constantly cultivate one’s mind that one can act as a gentleman.Xunzi discusses the initiative of "gentleman" through the approach of "theory of original evil of human nature",and "gentleman" can cultivate morality consciously,so as to reject the bad element of human nature.Second,in this ideological path,Mencius and Xunzi began to discuss the requirements of the "gentleman".There are two main differences: one is the requirement for the personal internal cultivation of the gentleman.Mencius thinks that the gentleman should grasp the essence of "righteousness",they often reflect on themselves and raise the noble spirit to dig into most real 、most good of their heart.Xunzi shows that the gentleman should master the connotation of "propriety",and the external "propriety" is the indispensable constraint for the gentleman to develop.Learning "propriety" to use "propriety",using "propriety" to know the deeper meaning of "propriety",this is the request of Xunzi for the gentleman learning "propriety".At the same time,the gentleman cultivates the virtue is in order to better obey the monarch,and reverence for the rule of the monarch.Second,in the social and political aspects of the demand,Mencius with "policy of benevolence " to win the hearts of the people,and he opposed the rule by force of dictators.Xunzi believes that the gentleman participates in politics with both " ritual" and "law",and use the power of kingly way and the power of hegemony.Although Mencius talked about "righteousness",Xunzi talked about "ritual",but they all require the gentleman should have higher moral quality,gentleman should be kind on the inside and courteous on the outside.The "gentleman" thoughts of Mencius and Xunzi are produced in accordance with the needs of the times,which is related to the value orientation and political construction.comprehensively studied the meaning of the "gentleman" of Mencius and Xunzi、the content of the gentleman’s personal moral construction and the role of the gentleman in political management.So it can play a good role in promoting the construction of modern spiritual civilization,national management and social governance.