Mencius on True Benevolent Rule | Generated by AI
Question: Provide an introduction to 《寡人之于国也》.
Answer:
《寡人之于国也》 is a famous chapter from the book Mencius (《孟子》), specifically from the section “Liang Hui Wang Shang” (梁惠王上). It records a dialogue between Mencius (孟子) and King Hui of Liang (梁惠王), and is one of the most important texts showcasing Mencius’s core political philosophy of “benevolent government” (仁政).
Background
- Time: Warring States period (around 335 BCE)
- Context: King Hui of Liang (ruler of the state of Wei, also called Liang) invited Mencius to his court hoping to get practical advice to strengthen his state and increase its population. At that time, population size was seen as a key indicator of a state’s power and prosperity, since people could freely migrate to better-governed states.
- The king proudly claimed he had done his best for the country by relocating people and grain during famines, yet he was puzzled why his population did not grow compared to neighboring states.
Main Content Summary
The dialogue can be divided into three parts:
-
The King’s Question
King Hui complains: “I do my utmost for the state. During famines in Henei, I move people to Hedong and grain to Henei, and vice versa. No neighboring ruler cares as much as I do. Yet my people do not increase while others do not decrease. Why?” -
Mencius’s Analogy (The famous “Fifty paces laughing at a hundred paces”)
Mencius uses a battlefield metaphor: soldiers flee battle — some run 100 paces, some 50 paces. Can the 50-pace runners mock the 100-pace ones? The king admits they cannot, as both fled.
Mencius then points out: the king’s policies are only slightly better than neighbors’, but still based on profit-seeking and temporary relief rather than true benevolent rule, so he cannot expect significantly better results. -
The Ideal of Benevolent Government (仁政)
Mencius explains the true way to attract and keep people:- Do not disrupt farming seasons → grain will be more than enough.
- Do not use fine nets in deep ponds → fish and turtles will be abundant.
- Cut trees only in season → timber will be plentiful.
→ This ensures people can support the living and mourn the dead without regret — the beginning of the Kingly Way (王道之始).
He then describes concrete policies:
- Plant mulberry trees around homes → people over 50 can wear silk.
- Raise livestock at proper times → people over 70 can eat meat.
- Give 100 mu of fields and do not interfere with farming → families can avoid hunger.
- Promote education in schools and emphasize filial piety → the elderly will not carry burdens on roads.
Final famous line:
“When those of seventy wear silk and eat meat, and the common people are neither hungry nor cold, yet the ruler does not become a true King — such a thing has never existed.”He criticizes rulers who let dogs and pigs eat human food while people starve in the streets, then blame “bad years” instead of their own policies — comparing it to stabbing someone and saying “it wasn’t me, it was the weapon.”
Core Ideas & Significance
- Advocates people-centered governance (民本思想): the foundation of true kingship is winning the hearts of the people through benevolent policies, not through war, taxes, or temporary aid.
- Contrasts Kingly Way (王道) with Hegemonic Way (霸道) — moral governance vs. force and profit.
- The chapter is a classic example of Mencius’s eloquent, persuasive, step-by-step debating style.
- It has been a key text in Chinese middle/high school curriculum for centuries, famous for lines like “五十步笑百步” (fifty steps laughing at a hundred steps — mocking others while having similar faults) and the vivid ideal society description.
This dialogue shows Mencius’s sharp criticism of superficial “good governance” and his deep belief that only true benevolence can unify the world.
References: