Mencius / translated by Irene Bloom ; edited and with an introduction by Philip J. Ivanhoe.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Translated from the Chinese.

"Known throughout East Asia as Mengzi, or "Master Meng," Mencius (391-308 B.C.E.) was a Chinese philosopher of the late Zhou dynasty, an instrumental figure in the spread of the Confucian tradition, and a brilliant illuminator of its ideas. Mencius was active during the Warring States Period (403-221 B.C.E.), in which competing powers sought to control the declining Zhou empire. Like Confucius, Mencius journeyed to one feudal court after another, searching for a proper lord who could put his teachings into practice. Only a leader who possessed the moral qualities of a true king could unify China, Mencius believed, and in his defense of Zhou rule and Confucian philosophy, he developed an innovative and highly nuanced approach to understanding politics, self-cultivation, and human nature, profoundly influencing the course of Confucian thought and East Asian culture." "Mencius is a record of the philosopher's conversations with warring lords, disciples, and adversaries of the Way, as well as a collection of pronouncements on government, human nature, and a variety of other philosophical and political subjects. Mencius is largely concerned with the motivations of human actors and their capacity for mutual respect. He builds on the Confucian idea of ren, or humaneness, and places it alongside the complementary principle of yi, or rightness, advancing a complex notion of what is right for certain individuals as they perform distinct roles in specific situations. Consequently, Mencius's impact was felt not only in the thought of the intellectual and social elite but also in the value and belief systems of all Chinese people."--Jacket.

Mengzi benyi guanhua 孟子本義官話  [7篇] /  An Baoluo zhu. 安保羅著.

[With English title page: Mencius in Mandarin with some Christian annotations for Chinese schools by Pastor P. Kranz.}
[Preface also in English. English bibliographies at end.]

Preface dated Guangxu 光緖 31 [1905].,

N.B. The RI editon does not exactly match the OCLC record, which appears to be a stitch-bound volume and is paginated differently (2, 3, 167, 9 double leaves) though that pagination would equal the 334 marked pages in the RI copy. The RI edition also lacks an English title page, and the untitled English preface appears at the end of the book. The book is printed on single sheet wood-pulp style paper, and has been mended and taped together (possibly losing the English title page in the process). Both are dated Guangxu 31 (1905) so perhaps this edition was produced alongside the stitch-bound edition.